Non dirmi che hai paura
(Don't tell me you're scared) Book not yet available in English
Summary:
Samia is a young girl from Mogadishu. Running is in her blood. Every day she shares her dreams with Ali, who is her best friend, confidant, and first, passionate coach. While Somalia is increasingly prey to political and religious rigidity, and while weapons speak ever louder in the language of oppression, Samia looks ahead and senses in her slim, lightning-fast legs a destiny of redemption for her tormented country and for Somali women. Night-time training sessions in the empty stadium, in order to hide from the accusing eyes of the fundamentalists, and her first successes lead her, at only seventeen, to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. She finishes last, but becomes a symbol for Muslim women around the world. Her real dream, however, is to win. The appointment is with the 2012 London Olympics. But everything becomes difficult. The fundamentalists gain even more power, Samia runs covered in a burqa and is forced to face a heartbreaking loss, while her “brother of a lifetime” changes her life forever. Suddenly, staying there no longer makes sense. One night, she leaves, on foot. Chasing freedom and the dream of winning the Olympics. Alone, she embarks on an 8,000-kilometer journey, the odyssey of migrants from Ethiopia to Sudan and, across the Sahara, to Libya, in order to arrive by sea in Italy. Giuseppe Catozzella spent months immersed in Samia’s real life, and reinvented it in a very tender voice, writing an unforgettable novel.
Edited by: Centro MeTRa - Università di Bologna (Italy)
Comment:
Catozzella’s novel tells the true story of Samia Yusuf Omar, a young Somali sprinter who grew up in Mogadishu. Despite countless difficulties, in 2008, at the age of 17, Samia competed in the Beijing Olympics, finishing last but thrilling the audience with her passion and resilience. A few years later, determined to compete in the 2012 London Olympics, she embarked on a long and dangerous clandestine journey to reach Europe, find a coach, and prepare for the competitions in better conditions. The novel explores two main themes, on one hand, Samia’s childhood and adolescence in Mogadishu, increasingly controlled by fundamentalists, and the difficult path to becoming an athlete, despite being a girl, while growing up in a family that was not wealthy, but loving and supportive. On the other hand, her journey to Europe, together with many other migrants, that lasted more than a year in inhumane conditions. It is a coming-of-age story and a story about sport, but also about migration. Catozzella has succeeded in the difficult task of telling an emblematic story, giving the character of Samia human depth, emotions, and credible feelings. The story flows with agility and is so compelling that it leads the reader to continue reading until the epilogue and to root for Samia not only on a sporting level, but also on a human and personal level. Gender issues are intertwined with aspects related to migration: life is very difficult for a Somali girl and sport in her country is considered a sin. The result is the portrait of an unforgettable and unforgotten girl, whose powerful story deserves to be known in all its beauty and cruelty. The novel has been adapted into an international film, directed in 2024 by Yasemin Şamdereli and Deka Mohamed Osman, as well as a musical theater production of the same title, directed by Laura Ruocco.