Journalist and writer, Valentina was born in Rome and raised in South Africa during the apartheid regime. She has spent her life between Kenya, South Africa and Europe. Her literary activity has been praised for promoting intercultural dialogue and being a spotlight on immigration and discriminations. Among her books published in Italy Il mondo a colori della famiglia BwanaVal (Kabiliana 2002); Amani. I nomi della pace (EMI 2004); Jabuni: il mistero della città sommersa (EMI 2003); poems L’ottava nota (Prospettiva 2002); drama Io… donna… immigrata …volere dire scrivere (EMI 2004), novels Cercando Lindiwe (EPoché 2007) reportage/memoirs Il viaggio capovolto (Epoché 2010). She has been recently appeared at UNISA with a discussion on The perception of Africa in the Italian imaginary” and actually working with a group of women in the township of Cape Town in a socio- artistic project which connects literature, urban space and civil rights. Her work has been widely studied by Italian students and some have discussed their University thesis on her work. She teaches Intercultural writing and works as a intercultural mediator with children and adults.
www.valentinammaka.net