Valerio Massimo Manfredi defines himself "Ancient World Topographer". Since 1978 he spends his time teaching in several European universities, digging ruins in the Mediterranean and in the Middle East, and writing wonderful novels.He lives and works in his country house of Piumazzo di Castelfranco Emilia, near Modena.Which is the secret of his novels' success? He replies: "In an overpopulated world, in a swarm that loves the reflectors and kills the mystery, people need to dream. When I was a child and lived in the country, you could perceive the unknown just going out in the night. Trees' branches like giants, the owl's cry, everything was big, magic, frightening. Nowadays they're WWF's affairs..."How can we take back our dreams? "Living in a simple way, in harmony with nature, preserving the control of the thoughts, improving the mind, in agreement with the others".