The Whales Know

WINNER OF THE ITALIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRIZE FOR TRANSLATION 2014

Baja California, in modern-day Mexico is one of the longest peninsulas in the world, and certainly one of the most geographically diverse. Pino Cacucci travels through endless expanses of desert, salt mountains and rows of cacti with thorns so sharp they can impale thirsty birds; he rediscovers local traditions and old legends of queens and giant pearls Cacucci also explores the breathtaking coastal areas, where whales play alongside fishing boats. Sixty years ago, Mexico became the first country to create a safe haven for whales, and even today these enigmatic animals seem to understand that it is possible for humans and animals to live in harmony.

PINO CACUCCI was born in 1955 in Alessandria, Piedmont, and grew up in Chiavari, Italy. In the early Eighties he spent long periods in Paris and Barcelona, and subsequently made his first trips to Mexico and Central America, where he resided for some years. He is a prolific translator from Spanish, and has written over 20 works of fiction and nonfiction, for which he has won over 16 awards, including the Pluma de Plata Mexicana in 1992 and 1997 for the best foreign writing on Mexico.

Find Pino on Twitter @PinoCacucci1

KATHERINE GREGOR is Norwich-based literary translator.