From Scampia to Cannes

Essays by Roberto Saviano. Translated by Oonagh Stransky.

Italian journalist Roberto Saviano describes the affects of writing his successful Mafia expose' Gomorrah on his life and work. In this episode, he is given a rare release from enforced hiding, to take a trip to the Cannes Film Festival for the opening of the film version of his explosive book, which dramatises his insights going undercover in Naples to reveal the scale and brutality of the modern Mafia operation in Italy and beyond. He is accompanied to Cannes by the youthful stars of the film, ordinary kids from the streets of Naples who play wannabe gangsters, all of whom who have grown up, as Saviano did, in the shadow of violent organised crime.

A series of essays from Italian journalist Roberto Saviano, the celebrated author of Gomorrah - a sensational book exposing the inner workings of the Italian Mafia. Saviano explores a range of his passions, both light and dark, sharing common themes of David vs Goliath and the power of art and talent to overcome difficulties, while offering a compelling insight into his life in hiding and under permanent police protection since Gomorrah's publication in 2006.

Saviano describes the effects on his life and work of writing the book, including a surreal 'fish out of water' trip to the Cannes Film Festival for the opening of the film version.

Abridged by Eileen Horne

Reader: Nicholas Murchie

Producer: Clive Brill
A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.