Originally from Northern Italy, Luca Serra has been living in Scotland for ten years. He has been interested in creative activities such as writing and painting from an early age. He has dedicated himself to writing for about seventeen years and has so far published two novels in Italian and various short stories in both English and Italian. In 2020 he received the Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award for fiction and was later shortlisted for the Alpine Fellowship Prize. He has a background in teaching and translations. He now collaborates with Creative Edinburgh as a creative writing mentor and since 2021 he has been the editor of Scottish charity Product Magazine, with which he runs a free mentoring programme for emerging writers.
Luca is particularly interested in contemporary social issues such as immigration, identity, and the divisive politics of today. Through his writing, he aims to explore the challenges and experiences that come with moving to new, unfamiliar places and how the characters establish their identity and purpose in those places. His characters are often misfits and minorities who pull out the remarkable and, sometimes, absurd in ordinary, day-to-day lives.
He is currently working on a collection of short stories around the theme of immigration. He has also completed his third novel, “Glasgow smiles better”, which follows the lives of four characters who tackle various issues such as mental health, visible differences and acceptance through forging a new community in each other.
Awards:
Scottish Book Trust - Scottish New Writers Award for Fiction (Scotland, U.K.) 2020
The Bridge Awards - Longlisted for Moniack Mhor Emerging Writers Award 2022
Alpine Fellowship - Shortlisted for Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize 2024
Publications:
2011: Rosso Pagliaccio / Short story (Italian)
2012: L'anno di Najabu / Short story (Italian)
2014: Variazione 5 / Short story (Italian)
2016: L'assenzio / Short story (Italian)
2017: Il sole in polvere / Novel (Italian)
2018: Prairie Dogs / Novel (Italian)
2021: Sending Love / Short story (English)
2022: Sea Star / Short story (English)
Collaboration:
2020: Pallina di Gomma / Short story / OGNIMARE.IT (Italian)
2020: Down at the pot wash / Short play performed by SAST theatre
2023: Introduction to White Nights / SCRATCH BOOKS (English)
2024: FIRST LOVE e-book / Product Magazine (Editor)