The Anniversary
Italy

The Anniversary

by Andrea Bajani

Freedom & Resistance Fiction 2025

Summary

Can you walk away from your family and never look back? Ten years after cutting all contact with his parents, an unnamed narrator reflects on the childhood and family life he left behind. His father ruled the household through violence, intimidation, and fear, while his mother quietly endured her husband’s control, gradually disappearing into the background of her own life. As the narrator revisits these painful memories, he begins to understand the cost of silence and the complicated ties that bind children to their parents. Both an intimate family portrait and a sharp critique of patriarchal power, The Anniversary asks whether breaking away from those who raised us is an act of betrayal—or a necessary step toward freedom.

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Country
Italy
Europe
About the author
Andrea Bajani
Andrea Bajani

Andrea Bajani (born in 1975 in Rome, Italy) is an Italian novelist, poet, journalist, and essayist known for his psychologically perceptive explorations of family, memory, identity, and the complexities of human relationships. He made his literary debut in 2002 and gained recognition with Se Consideri le Colpe (2007), which received several Italian literary awards. His novel Ogni Promessa (2010) won the prestigious Bagutta Prize, while The Book of Homes (2021) was shortlisted for both the Strega and Campiello Prizes. In 2025, Bajani won both the Strega Prize and the Strega Giovani Prize for The Anniversary, a powerful examination of family violence, silence, and the possibility of breaking free from inherited patterns. His books have been translated into numerous languages. He is a writer-in-residence at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

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Details
Published
2025
Author
Andrea Bajani