English: Andrea Melita: "This typewriter belonged to my father.

He was in Africa during the second world war (in a prisoner camp with the English in North Africa). A lot of his friends died but he survived. He was taken in by an American military organisation, was for a few years in America: considered them the saviours of his life.

He learned English, became an interpreter, and became a journalist. After 4 years, he went back to Frankfurt, Germany and became a writer, an expert in theatre, critic and dramaturgy.

The typewriter has always been with him. He is now in my house - which is now my house here in Pisa. It is an IBM, American typewriter. A lot of people from the German theatre had houses in this region, Lac Majeur, etc.

He worked on a project with them, and I joined him quite often here from when I was only a few months old. Lots of people stayed half a year here and half a year in Germany. We followed that movement. My mother took a virus here and died back in Germany.

At a certain point, I decided to come here, even when I didn't know the story about being here as a child and my mom died in Italy. But I had an impulse to come here. I have now been living here since I was 21 years old, in the town of Calci.

Father always had this typewriter with him, although it is not really portable! I really felt that today, it was so heavy! The type is a Kugelkopf: an unusual and particular type. I did use to type on it sometimes, but today it is more of a memento in my living room.

My family consists of different lines of migration. My mother's family from Switzerland to Poland to Berlin to Frankfurt. Grandfather: Frankfurt ad Oder, Berlin, Frankfurt. I have a twin sister and she migrated to Sicily! We both married men from Sicily. She has two sons, they are now both in Berlin. One of them, I see my father in him: same movements, same eyes, some creative talents, the spirit of the arts (but no writer). The other: biology, philosophy, nature. I have another sister who lives in France. My brother lives in Switzerland. We have spread out all over Europe but there's a lot of love flowing around always. There is a lot of distance but we are well connected."