A rich afternoon of emotion was spent by the Fourth and Fifth Primary Class students of the International House Oxford Group of Lecce.

The boys, together with the headteacher, Anna Grazia Buttazzo, welcomed [them] in the School Auditorium Antonio Ferrara, an established children's author, illustrator, cultural operator, and lecturer in creative writing techniques. Accompanying them is Italian teacher Marianna Calogiuri, who prepared the students for the meeting, organised with the practical collaboration of teacher Teresa Romano, who worked hard to bring Ferrara to Oxford School.

The author (dubbed “a real joker” by the little ones) immediately managed to capture the attention of the special audience and their teachers, through An intense dialogue, lively, rich in simple words, slang expressions, jokes, gags, and direct questions to the boys who in turn interacted with him, responding with enthusiasm and curiosity.

Antonio Ferrara, reading short excerpts from his books (including The Teacher is a Captain (which was met with considerable success among those present) led the young people to reflect on the importance of reading and writing, activities capable of promoting a powerful and necessary processing of their emotions in young people, guiding them towards positive paths of self-knowledge, redemption and free affirmation of their own person.

After answering numerous questions, Antonio Ferrara congratulated the students on their participation and the enthusiasm with which they approached the meeting, which concluded with a long and thunderous round of applause and a lovely group photo as a memento of the good times spent together.