<DIV><p>Dino is a placid, unambitious man. Living in a small provincial town, his only passion is billiards?he spends his evenings in the local billiards parlor honing his technique. One day, however, his quiet life is interrupted?his wife falls pregnant. This sparks a series of events that shake Dino from his slumber, challenging him for the first time.</p><p>Born in Florence in 1978, <B>Pietro Grossi</B> lives between Tuscany and Milan. His collection of short stories <I>Fists</I> was shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and won the Campiello Europa Prize in 2010.</p></div>