Silvia Ballestra, born in Porto San Giorgio (Ascoli Piceno), was one of Pier Vittorio Tondelli's "under 25s" in the landmark series of the late 1980s. Her debut book, Compleanno dell'iguana (1991), in which the protagonist Antò Lo Purk appears for the first time, was greeted with much success and translated into a number of languages. La guerra degli Antò (1992) followed, then a short story collection, Gli orsi (1994), a book-conversation with the writer Joyce Lussu (Joyce L. Una vita contro), and the so-called "Nina's trilogy": La giovinezza della signorina N.N. (1998), Nina (2001) and Il compagno di mezzanotte (2002). In 2003 the short story collection Senza gli orsi appeared. Tutto su mia nonna is forthcoming from Einaudi Stile libero.