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Her name is Hélène, and she is French, his name is Aliocha and he is a young Russian conscript called up for military service, allocated to a barracks in Siberia. Fuga a Est (Escape to the East) is the story of two passengers amongst many others on the Trans-Siberian railway line connecting Moscow to Vladivostok. Both are fleeing from something they find unbearable. Hélène from her Russian lover, Aliocha from the train that is depriving him of his freedom.

Paolo Di Paolo
Paolo di Paolo was born in Rome in 1983. He has published several novels, including: Raccontami la notte in cui sono nato (2008), Dove eravate tutti (2011, Mondello Prize and Vittorini Super Prize), Mandami tanta vita (2013, Strega Prize finalist), Una storia quasi solo d’amore (2016), Lontano dagli occhi (2019, Viareggio Prize) translated into several languages. Many of his books originate from dialogues: with Antonio Debenedetti, Dacia Maraini, Raffaele La Capria, Claudio Magris and Antonio Tabucchi, for whom he edited Viaggi e altri viaggi (2010). He has authored texts for children’s books, including La mucca volante (2014, Strega Prize Ragazze e Ragazzi finalist) and I Classici compagni di scuola (2021), and for the theatre. He collaborates with several newspapers and periodicals, including “la Repubblica”, “La Stampa”, “L’Espresso”, and conducts the programme “La lingua batte” on RAI Radio 3.