The Talking StatuesPaperback, 15 March 2021

What does the message on battered ancient Roman statue Pasquino mean, and why is it seemingly addressed to Charlie Sala, an American scholar writing a book about the city's "talking statues"? Together with enigmatic Czech lighting designer Pavlina Herecová, he will be pulled into the world of pasquinisti, the ragged and erudite crew of street poets preserving a 500-year-old tradition against black marketeers who are using the statues to sell pillaged Near Eastern artifacts. Featuring centuries-old street lore and climaxing in a 21st century light show that makes the statues speak once more, The Talking Statues twists through historical and literary labyrinths against a savory Roman backdrop.