Born in 2000 and discovered by writer Walter Siti, Cornalba recounts the anxieties of provincial youth (specifically, his Pandino, in the province of Cremona), drawing us into the story of Elia and Camilla. They are the “bagai,” the kids running without direction, running from a burned-out world in search of a future. For Elijah is not very good at feeling. Then Camilla arrives, and with her come signs from the past that are like slaps, or caresses. Perhaps from the restlessness and the province one is not saved even by the overwhelming love of one’s twenties; sometimes, however, there are people and thoughts that can make the future a less frightening place. “Bagai” is the debut of a writer just 24 years old, but it is not a generational novel: it is a very powerful scream. A demonstration that talent does not wait, it just exists. Cornalba thus reveals himself as one of the most interesting authors on the Italian scene, with a novel that has convinced both audiences and critics.