Carlo Collodi (born Carlo Lorenzini in Florence, 1826) was an Italian children's writer and most famous for his children's novel The Adventures of Pinocchio. Involved in political matters, he wrote satires during the Wars of Independence, going on to found a satirical newspaper Il Lampione (The Streetlight). He won fame with a novel, In Vapore, before focusing on children's literature as a way to explore political allegory. He began writing Storia di un burattino (Story of a Marionette), serialised in Il Giornale dei Bambine (The Children's Newspaper). This story would later come to be known as The Adventures of Pinnochio. Collodi died in his native city in 1890, aged 63. Anthony Clark is an award-winning director playwright and teacher with a strong reputation for finding, commissioning and producing new plays. His plays, and adaptations have been produced nationally and internationally. He has directed for the National Theatre, RSC, and Bristol Old Vic and held the role of Artistic Director at Hampstead Theatre, Birmingham Rep (The Door) and Contact Theatre. He currently runs his own company Theatre Accord, and is Course Leader for MA Dramatic Writing and MA Directing at Central Saint Martins.