In the night between the 1st and 2nd February last Guido Leotta died after a heart attack. Guido, besides being a musician, writer and much more, was also the first Italian publisher to accept a series of translations from Welsh literature - named Geiriau o Gymru: Parole dal Galles - in his publishing house Mobydick.

From 1997, when we first presented our idea to Guido, until 2010, seventeen books, all supported by Wales Literature Exchange and in particular by Sioned Puw Rowlands, were translated into Italian. The series includes the two literatures of Wales.

With his foresight and his continuous passion and love for culture he, little by little, managed to introduce Welsh authors into the Italian cultural panorama so much so that today a distinction is made between Welsh literature and English literature and many other publishers have been translating new Welsh authors.

We thank Guido for his collaboration, his friendship and his capacity of mediating in difficult situations. His death is a great loss for his family, friends, collaborators and is sorely missed by the Romagnolo and Italian culture.

Andrea Bianchi & Silvana Siviero