A Submarine in the Village

By Vanessa Navicelli

What happens when an eccentric captain (who says “Poppycock!” all the time) gets tired of not having any more wars to fight and decides to create his own?

It’s a special day in a small village on the hills.
It’s the day of the mayor’s daughter wedding, and everyone is ready to celebrate.
But suddenly ... A war submarine appears in the central square!
Where did it come from?! How did it get there ... without any water?!
It'll take a while to understand that the culprit is the eccentric captain who decided to declare war on the small hilltop village.
What will this crazy situation lead to?
What will happen when the captain (left alone in the depths of the sea for such a long time) starts to get to know the villagers?

A humorous story with a pacifist background about the discovery of ourselves and the world around us.
Funny, tender and surreal.
A story to make you smile yet reflect a little bit, talking about friendship, pastries, kisses and smiles.
Because another life (... another way) is always possible.

For all readers aged 6 to ... 100!
A fairy tale for everyone, with 13 watercolour and pastel illustrations.

“He couldn’t actually fish, but he found it quite relaxing to sit there listening to the sound of the water flowing.
He had always seen the water from below the surface. What a surprise it was to look at it from above, with the reflection of the sun, the scents in the air and the sounds of the countryside.”

Also available in Italian and paperback.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vanessa Navicelli
• Release date: Jun 9, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311598752

Vanessa Navicelli

Vanessa Navicelli: this is meI was born in the North of Italy, in a small village on the hills, not far from the river Po.I grew up with The Little House on the Prairie, with the American movies of the 40s and the 50s (all sorts!), with Italian neorealist movies, with English 19th century novels and with Giovannino Guareschi’s novels, The little world of don Camillo (which in the American movie version had Orson Welles as a voiceover narrator).I attended a Scientific High School and then I started to study Literature and Philosophy at the University of Pavia (near Milan), where I still live today.With my novel “The bread under the snow” I was one of 21 finalists – from among 1100 participants – of the “La Giara” 2012 Literary Prize for Unpublished Novels, a scheme created by RAI, Italian State Television. I was in fact selected as the winner for the Emilia Romagna region.In 2008 and in 2009 I participated, with some of my poems and nursery rhymes, in a touring poem exhibition, which was organized to spread the message of peace and to raise funds for Amnesty International, Emergency and for the Saharawi population.When I need to reflect I make soap bubbles; at night.I recharge my batteries under the spring sun and the winter snow. Other climatic conditions have a terrible effect on me (making me sleepy, irritable and bringing out the killer instinct in me).I deeply love Christmas time (and have lights and decorations in my house all year round).I have a dog whose name is Spank. He does not know how to bark. But, after all, neither do I.I write novels for adults and young adults; and short stories for children.When I write, I try to keep four things in mind: simplicity, empathy, humour and the real desire to tell a story.I believe in kindness. And in humour. (Maybe it’s humorous to believe in kindness...).Frank Capra once said: “In my opinion, with humour and affection we promote good instincts. They’re a tonic for the whole world.” I endorse it.And I also endorse Giacomo Puccini's words when he said: “I want to get to people’s heart.”I’m sure that goodness brings goodness. And I love to tell it.# # #Vanessa Navicelli nasce a Vicobarone, un piccolo paese sulle colline piacentine, ma da anni vive a Pavia.Cresce coi film neorealisti italiani, con le commedie e i musical americani, coi cartoni animati giapponesi, coi romanzi dell’Ottocento inglese e coi libri di Giovannino Guareschi. (Be’, sì... anche coi suoi genitori.)Nel 2012 con il suo romanzo “Il pane sotto la neve” è stata finalista della prima edizione del Premio Letterario "La Giara", indetto dalla RAI. Scelta come vincitrice per l'Emilia Romagna.Ha vinto la sezione “Scritture per Ragazzi” dello Scriba Festival, organizzato da Carlo Lucarelli, e vari premi con la Scuola Holden di Alessandro Baricco. Il “Premio Cesare Pavese” per la poesia e il “Premio Giovannino Guareschi” per racconti.Ha partecipato, con diverse poesie e filastrocche, a una mostra itinerante di poesia, legata al concorso Carapacetiscrivo, organizzata per diffondere una cultura di pace e per raccogliere fondi per Amnesty International, Emergency e per il popolo Saharawi.Ha una conoscenza discreta di Inglese, Piacentino, Pavese.Quando passa la banda musicale di paese, si commuove; sia che suoni “Bella ciao”, o “La canzone del Piave”, o “La bella Gigogin”.Ha un enorme cane bianco e nero, Angelo (70 kg di puro affetto), che le vuol bene nonostante tutti i suoi difetti. Mica poco...Scrive romanzi per adulti e ragazzi; e storie per bambini.Quando scrive, cerca di tenere presente quattro cose: la semplicità, l’empatia, l’umorismo, la voglia vera di raccontare una storia.Crede nella gentilezza. E nell’umorismo. (Forse è umoristico credere nella gentilezza...)Frank Capra diceva: “Con humour e affetto si favoriscono, a mio avviso, i buoni istinti. Sono un tonico per il mondo intero.” Lo sottoscrive.È convinta che dal bene nasce il bene. E le piace raccontarlo.Ha pubblicato due libri per bambini.Nel 2014 “Un sottomarino in paese” (ebook e cartaceo, italiano e inglese), fiaba illustrata sul tema della pace.Nel 2016 “Mina e il Guardalacrime” (solo cartaceo), che inaugura la collana delle Fiabe Bonbon.È cresciuta con persone che, pur cercando di scherzarci su, nella loro giovinezza hanno sperimentato cosa fosse la povertà vera.È cresciuta in un minuscolo paesino emiliano dove ancora oggi ben pochi anziani sanno cos’è il lillà, ma tutti sanno cos’è la serenella. E lei lo trova stupendo.

Book preview

A Submarine in the Village

Vanessa Navicelli

Copyright 2014 Vanessa Navicelli

Illustrations and cover by Sabrina Borron

Digital Edition by Rita Carla Francesca Monticelli

Smashwords Edition

Also available in Italian and paperback.

Dedicated to children.

And to those adults who endlessly

try to make the world a better place.

Table of contents

I - Please, have a seat: the story is going to start

II - The days passed by …

III - The old lady and the vegetable garden

IV - Escape from the nursery school (poppycock!)

V - The kite

VI - Are you deaf?

VII - The first friend

VIII - The village festival

IX - A new life

X - The telegram

Acknowledgements

About the author

I - Please, have a seat: the story is going to start

In a village on the hills, not far from the sea, the people used to wake up early in the morning, and meet all together at the market, in the central square.

But one morning, when they arrived in the square, the usual market wasn’t there, instead there was ... a military submarine.

Yes, yes. That’s right. A submarine right there in the middle of a village!

That same morning, in a church nearby, the marriage of the mayor’s daughter was being celebrated. While the newlyweds were coming out of the church, amidst happy applause, the confectioner who had prepared the refreshments ran up to the mayor.

Lord Mayor, Lord Mayor … he gasped, "… something horrible has happened! The man from the submarine has taken away all the sweets I had prepared for your daughter’s wedding! He says they’re spoils of war covered by international