A Boy Full of Emptiness

"Leo tells the stories of his life as though he is living them all over again; it is an extraordinary gift. Every scene comes to life: every fragrance, every bad smell, every delicious morsel of food or stinging slap becomes real.”

Pete Townshend, The Who

This book is rich with the story of a boy born in the 1940s and coming of age in Lucca, a walled town in Tuscany still retaining the feeling of a medieval community. His narrative immerses the reader into the life of funny and sensuous adventures in an Italy suspended between Fascism, the war and the economic boom of the sixties. The story ends with the author travelling to England in search of riches and fulfilment.

He was born in Lucca, Tuscany at the beginning of WWII in 1940. Studied agriculture and hotel management before his army service in Italy. Came to England in 1964, worked in Claridges for a couple of years, then as and actor and model. In the early 70’s he started to sculpt and became a bespoke gold and silversmith making jewellery. He retired in 2016 and now lives in South West London.