Keen On

There are few more passionate bibliophiles than those who have dedicated their lives to the publishing business. Take, for example, Stephen Riggio, the former CEO of Barnes & Noble who, as he confessed to me, has been hooked on books his whole life. Riggio’s latest book project is as the translator of Silician Avengers, the greatest Italian novel that you’ve probably never heard of. Written in the 19th century by Luigi Natoli, who is often compared with Alexander Dumas and Charles Dickens because he published his prodigious fiction in popular newspaper installments, Sicilian Avengers is the saga of a legendary secret sect purported to be forerunners of the Mafia. Considered now by many literary critics to be one of the most notable works of fiction in the Italian language, Riggio’s translated version of the first two books of Sicilian Avengers comes with an afterword from Umberto Eco. Stephen Riggio is the former chief executive officer of Barnes & Noble. For over forty years he was a key leader tran