Politician, writer, journalist, and Parliamentary member since 1987, Veltroni was the director of the Newspaper “L’Unita`”, Vice Premier and Minister of Culture in the government of Romano Prodi, National Secretary for the Democratic Party of the Left and then for the Democratic Party. Concurrent with his political activities, he has been involved in communication, cinema and television. In 2006, as the Mayor of Rome he advocated for the first edition of the Rome Film Festival. In 2009 he received the America Award from the Italy - USA Foundation. For many years literature has become a passion: from the book The Disk of the World. The Brief Life of Luca Flores, Musician (2003), which was adapted for a film titled Piano, solo by Riccardo Milani and starring Kim Rossi Stuart; Discovery of Dawn (2006) was translated into seven languages and has sold more than 300,000 copies; We (2009) tells the story of Italy taking us from Fascism to 2025 through the life of a family spanning four generations. In 2010 Einaudi published his monologue on the tragedy at the Belgian stadium of Heisel in 1985, Quando cade l’acrobata, entrano i clown (When the Acrobat Falls, enter the Clowns).