All the houses we are made of

10 houses: metaphors of belonging and growing up 

The first house is the universe, since we all live inside a great mystery. Then comes the embrace of those who love us, a safe place to sleep at night, the language we speak and the ones we will learn. A house full of friends is called school. Another is light, and travels wherever we go: it lives inside us, in play and imagination. One house is green, and has always known us. One house appears wherever we meet love in our life. The last house is the shelter that, one day, we too will learn to give. 

In every house there is a door to cross: we step in, we step out, and every time, we grow a little more. 

A poetic journey through every house we carry inside us, on the way to becoming ourselves. 

Publication: November 2026 

Author & Illustrator

SILVIA VECCHINI 

One of Italy’s most esteemed and versatile writers, recently awarded the Andersen Prize 2026 as Best Writer. Her work spans poetry, graphic novels and picture books, earning her numerous awards, including the Strega Prize “Ragazze e Ragazzi”. She is a master at exploring the inner world of children with grace and philosophical depth. 

AGNESE BARUZZI 

Since 2001, Agnese has published over 100 titles worldwide (in countries such as UK, USA, Japan, France and South Korea). She is a leading international creator of novelty books, known for her ability to combine complex paper architecture with a clean, modern, and engaging aesthetic.