Flavia Cristiano ( Florence, 1953 ) lives and works in Rome, where she directs the Center for Books and Reading. After studying modern literature, she began her career at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. She was director of the State Library of Modern and Contemporary History and the Alessandria University in Rome, and directed the Servizo II office (Conservation and Technology) of the Department of Archives and Libraries. She has taught at universities and authored articles and essays on the history of the book, including L'antiquariato librario in Italia: vicende, protagonisti, cataloghi ( Gela editrice, 1986 )