Pizzica – Italian word meaning to bite, pinch or sting.
I received this beautifully illustrated book from the author – Hayley Egan. In simple, yet bold colours and pictures, the story enfolds in both English and Italian. Based on a fable from Italy’s southern region of Apulia, Pizzica Pizzica is a dance ritual providing an antidote to the venom of the Tarantula spider.
What I loved about this story was its connection to my own southern Italian heritage of Calabria. We know the dance as the Tarantella. I also loved reading the story in Italian as well as English. I hope to share the story with my grandson as he gets older.
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Hayley Egan is an artist, musician, author and mother of two. She is the author of bilingual children’s book ‘Pizzica Pizzica’, and is currently in the initial stages of her second project.
Her journey with bilingualism commenced in 2003 with travel to Siena, Italy, the beginning of a long and complex relationship with the Italian culture that would involve a degree in Italian studies, raising two bilingual children, and an obsession with food that is probably difficult for some to understand.
In 2008 she moved to Valladolid, Spain where she lived with her partner musician and ethnomusicologist Salvatore Rossano, who founded the international world music/jazz ensemble AzzBand. Both Hayley and Salvatore performed with this group during the 5 years they lived in Spain.
During this time, Hayley also worked as a freelance artist, taught English, studied art history at the University of Salamanca, developed a series of bilingual art workshops for children, and became a mother to Coco, who was born at home in Valladolid.
In 2013 the family moved across the world to Melbourne Australia, where they welcomed Ravi, also born peacefully at home. They now live in a country town outside Melbourne.
Hayley currently dedicates her time to painting, music, picture book making, and her family.
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