A short dystopian thriller, the novel is spun from the roots of 5 even shorter stories. A sharp warning against authoritarianism, a reminder that ideas and knowledge only thrive by allowing them to flow freely.

The Cafe on the Edge of the World is a short and easy read centred around three questions: Why are you here? Do you fear death? Are you fulfilled?

If there was one book I wish I had read during my teens, Sophie’s World would be it. It is a primer to philosophy to inspire wonder, teaching readers how to think and shape their values and how all of art, science and politics go back to their roots in philosophy.

Written by the Nobel-prize-winning novelist and playwright, this was the first Italian novel I’ve read, a soliloquy full of wit and humour.