Primo Levi: No to Forgetting

Ages 10 to 14, Grades 5 to 9

"Never forget that this has happened/Remember these words." Primo Levi's goal was to never let people forget the rise of Fascism and the Holocaust—so that it would never happen again.

No to Forgetting is a new addition to the "They Said No" series, and the only book about Primo Levi for readers age 12 and up.

The Italian chemist and resistance fighter Primo Levi emerged from the hell of the Auschwitz concentration camp at the age of 25. As a testament to survival, he wrote what have become some of the most wrenching yet life-affirming books ever written about the Holocaust experience. Levi, who died in 1987, devoted his life to maintaining our collective memory of the Holocaust–insisting that we acknowledge and remember what happened. For future generations to never forget. 

In the 1980s, Primo Levi met a young Italian boy, 11-year-old Vittorio. Vittorio is upset with his grandfather for refusing to explain his past experiences in the Holocaust. Because anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial ebbs and flows but never goes away, Levi understands that our memory of the Holocaust must be continually maintained, so he decides to help the boy uncover the buried secret. Primo and Vittorio's relationship is a jumping off point to tell the story of the life of one of history's greatest witnesses.

Series Overview: THEY SAID NO SERIES. There have always been people who said NO to what they considered unjust and unfair. "They Said No" is an historical fiction series for younger readers of protestors, activists, poets, revolutionaries and other brave changemakers from around the world that emphasizes the importance of standing up for what you know is right.

About the Author

Daniele Aristarco was born in Naples in 1977. He is a screenwriter, director, and has taught literature. His children's books, translated into several languages, tell young readers about history, most recently related to literature and the cinema.

Stéphanie Vailati studied scientific journalism in Paris. She is an author, translator and illustrator of texts for children. Vailati and Aristarco together lead theater and writing workshops. In addition to their book about Primo Levi for the They Said No series, together they wrote biographies of Federico Fellini and Vittorio de Sica, published by A dos d'âne editions in France.