Born near Naples in 1943, Domenico Starnone is a writer, screenwriter, and journalist. He started out as a teacher, and several of his books are satirical takes on the world of education, both from teachers' and students' points of view. His articles have appeared in newspapers and magazines such as L'Unita, Il Manifesto, Tango, and Cuore. In 2001 he won the Premio Strega for his book Via Gemito. The movies La scuola (The School, directed by Daniele Luchetti) and Denti (Teeth, directed by Oscar winner Gabriele Salvatores) are based on his books. He has also worked as a screenwriter on a dozen films and has been nominated three times for the Nastro d’Argento Prize for Best Story and Best Screenplay.