Bless me father

Italian Studies in the School of Literature, Language and Media will host South African poet and writer, Mario d’Offizi, to talk about his memoir.

D’Offizi will be in conversation with poet and writer, Phillippa Yaa de Villiers, who also lectures in the Creative Writing Department. Born into a violent and broken family, D’Offizi grew up in a number of welfare institutions.

Bless Me Father reveals his remarkable, often shocking and ultimately inspiring life adventure - one that spans several decades in a country and continent undergoing radical change.

From his tough days at Boys Town (where he was sexually abused) to wild years in the advertising world, a stint in the restaurant business and a sharp edged journalistic adventure in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the story unfolds with the unfailing sensitivity and warmth of a true poet. The book was translated into Italian by Dr Raphael D’Abdon, who lectures at UNISA.

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