When best-selling novelist Nicky Pellegrino was growing up in the north of England, she recalls being a voracious reader.
“I read all sorts, including a lot of Jilly Cooper, and as I approached my latest novel, I knew I wanted to write something in that vein,” says Nicky, discussing her 16th book, A Siena Love Story.
“Something with more drama and adventure than usual, and definitely something with horses!”
As luck would have it, Nicky was working on that manuscript while mentoring at a creative retreat in Tuscany.
“I used that opportunity to visit Siena because the book is about the Palio di Siena, this mad bareback horse race that runs through the central piazza there,” Nicky tells Woman’s Weekly.
“The locals are obsessed with this race that takes less than a minute to run and, twice a year, all these fans line the course to scream and cheer.”
Meeting a racing pioneer
Yet in the hundreds of years the race has run, only two women have ever competed. One in the 16th century and the other, a woman called Rosanna Bonelli, in the 1950s. Again, luck was on Nicky’s side, because she was leading one of her popular Italian food tours when she met a Sienese woman who opened a door that would usually be shut to an outsider.
“I asked if Rosanna was still alive, and she was, and this woman knew someone who could arrange for us to meet,” says Nicky.
“After quite a lot of Euros – in cash – changed hands, I spent a little time with this sparky 90-year-old.”
Nicky was utterly charmed by the nonagenarian equestrian’s spirit.
“Rosanna, known as Rompicollo, rode that race well before feminism reached Italy. My Italian is not very good – even though my father is Italian – but we chatted about why she rode and what it had been like.”
A meeting to remember
With help from Rosanna’s daughter, the two spoke about how much they loved their horses and showed each other pictures of their beloved steeds.
“It was so special and Rosanna gave me a signed copy of her autobiography,” Nicky says.
“Although it was the Papal Conclave that same day, and when Rosanna heard white smoke had risen from the Vatican, she sprang excitedly from her chair, still raring to go at 90!”
Nicky also felt strongly about writing a story for women who have ever felt underestimated or overlooked.
“I wanted to write about a woman who has always put her family first, who has been crushed beneath a man’s thumb and, when she reaches midlife, she’s ready to follow her dreams.”
Life beyond the bestseller list
She is quick to point out that her own marriage is the complete opposite to her heroine’s.
“My lovely husband definitely does not crush me, but my connection with horses is a huge part of this story,” she explains.
Even when you’re a best-selling author whose books are translated into 17 languages, Nicky points out that writing novels is not the most stable career.
“I write for magazines and I recently started leading Italian food tours.”
Nicky has led several tours and with plans for at least two in 2027.
“I have an Italian tour guide, so I’m only in charge of being sociable,” she says.
“Even though my husband and best friend worried I might struggle to be nice to 12 people for a week, it gels because we all love reading and eating. So far, I haven’t made anyone cry and I haven’t cried either, although I have eaten a lot!”
The solitary side of writing
Nicky appreciates how the tours take her out of her shell.
“Being a writer can be very solitary, so it’s nice to do something social and collaborative because writers need experiences.”
Right now, aside from growing dahlias, walking her greyhound Harry and riding her beloved horse Uno, Nicky’s focusing on a follow-up.
“I’m writing book number 17 and I’m in the tricky middle chapters when I’m wondering if I should’ve taken a different path in life,” Nicky notes with a wry smile.
“Then I’ll get an email from a reader saying how one of my books helped them through a difficult time and that inspires me to keep going.”
A Siena Love Story by Nicky Pellegrino (Hatchette Aotearoa NZ, rrp $37.99) is out now.
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