Book – The Mechanic of Words

Recently, a pleasant surprise appeared in my life: the arrival of someone truly special. Writing about him is a delicate process, because it requires maintaining a certain impartiality while at the same time not sparing the praise that he, in truth, fully deserves: Antonello Iona, 59 years old, Italian, born in Salerno and now living in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.

A mechanical engineer by education and profession, he soon realized that components, tools, and wrenches would not be the only instruments occupying his hands in shaping the complex structures that allow the “functionality” of a community, a group, or a society to emerge. Pen, paper, and even computers - since his first novel was published in 2019 - have become tools just as powerful in his contribution to society, revealing a man who is both technical and deeply sensitive.

After all, while one part of him is, and always will be, that of an engineer, capable of tackling technical challenges and achieving precise results, he has never stopped being a man driven by a passionate creative impulse, able to explore his own sensitivity and the artistic expressions that resonate with him.

Like many successful authors, writing has been, since childhood, not only a means of expression but also a form of healing. Even in the most formal environments, where such things were often considered irrelevant, Antonello managed to bring forth what pulsed within him. When drafting reports, presentations, or meeting minutes, even on the dullest topics, he exercised his talent by organizing words and narrative into clear and understandable messages.

In Rome, two decades ago, he realized that although the natural creative process of a writer consists of putting on paper the art of feeling and expressing oneself, it was necessary to acquire a method to organize thoughts and emotions and to communicate coherently with others, or with future readers. He therefore decided to attend a creative writing course, where he discovered his narrative voice and embraced an inner commitment that he called "the pact with the reader."

Although the course provided him with valuable tools, he kept his learning and practice as a personal treasure for two decades. Then two significant losses, in different places, deeply shook the soul of the artist. First, he lost his father, who was eighty-six years old, and shortly afterward his partner, who was barely half his father’s age. Two different men, with different paths, dreams, and dissatisfactions, who led Antonello to understand that life must be lived fully and that talents must be put to use.

Here, I, the author of this article, would like to quote a sentence I love:

"The fear of being booed hides many talents."

In 2019, the book Una Forma e Due Specchi - Con il Monologo dei Colori (publisher LEIMA), 157 pages, was published. In English it became One Form and Two Mirrors - With the Monologue of Colors. More recently, in 2024, the work attracted the attention of an Indian film director working in Hollywood, who expressed interest in a possible cinematic adaptation.

Once again, the engineer-writer realized that, just as in mechanics, creative processes must also be refined and transformed. He is currently working on the screenplay and on a possible new edition of the original Italian text, envisioning future translations into English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch, under his artistic name Kiran Sankharan.

When asked about a forthcoming unpublished book, often requested by readers and fans of his first work, Kiran responds like a writer who has already understood the essence of the craft. He will develop something new only when he truly feels the need to express himself, fine-tuning, like a true mechanic, his message and bringing it into the world only if and when it is ready.

It is the perfect balance between the reason and calculated precision of an engineer and the sensitivity of an artist who wishes to offer the very best to his audience. As I write this profile, I hope, like all readers, that our passionate and sensitive Italian, somewhat reminiscent of Jep Gambardella from the cinema of Paolo Sorrentino, will not leave us starving for his art with just one book.

Loving and passionate people should share all the love they carry with a world that is becoming less and less colorful.

Synopsis of One Form and Two Mirrors

Andrea is a structured, precise, and orderly man. A wife, two children, a job - his life appears perfect, yet everything will be completely overturned by an unexpected encounter.

That encounter is Kuno: messy, a lover of books, a dreamer, eccentric. One glance on a rainy night is enough to change their lives forever. In the short time fate will grant them, they will share a love that is both overwhelming and transformative.

Their passion grows with the same intensity as their inner and spiritual search, leading them toward an apotheosis that will mark a definitive change.

This article is not merely a review, nor does it limit itself to criticizing the work of an artist. Instead, it tells the story of the craftsman himself, whether mechanic or writer: someone who is already a living poem or novel, capable of transmitting through his presence what his books, even if forgotten on shelves, can still touch and transform in the lives of those who read them.

Short Testimonials on the Book’s Amazon Page

Language: Italian (92% approval)

"A smooth read that can be devoured in one sitting."

"An invitation to free oneself from conditioning, wounds, and fears."

"A book to read with an open mind, free from conditioning and prejudice."

text: Rômulo André Álvares