Maddalena Schiavo

Maddalena lives near Vicenza, at the foot of the legendary castles of Romeo and Juliet.
A philosopher by training, librarian by vocation and writer by passion, she spent years surrounded by books in a public library—until one day, she decided to start writing her own stories. Since then, she has been publishing picture books and short stories for children in Italy and abroad. When she’s not writing, Maddalena brings stories on the road: animated readings, creative workshops and a suitcase full of ideas travel with her to schools, libraries and bookstores. Her picture book Mela was awarded the Wanda Gág Read Aloud Award for best book for young readers, and was named one of the Best Children’s Books of 2025 by the Bank Street Children’s Book Committee.