Speak The Culture: Roberto Saviano

Poor Roberto, he's only 30 now but he wrote the book Gommorah in 2006 detailing the pointless and vicious backdrop of violent corruption in modern Naples practised by The Commorah, a local mafia-style operation.

He was given permanent police protection by the Italian Minister of The Interior, but has possibly left Italy after an informant revealed plans to kill him and his police escort on the motorway between Naples and Rome.

Naples is edgy, frantic, even. (I had my pizza stolen one night; no big deal, but I was eating it at the time) The film of the book is exciting and depressing in equal measure because you know this terrible stuff is going on routinely, all the time. His bravery has been championed by Umberto Eco, Dario Fo and Desmond Tutu and La Repubblica is collecting signatures on its site.

He's handsome, clever and amazingly young to have published such a significant and worthwhile book.

I wish him a long life and a brilliant career.