Tuesday 8th of November, Simonetta Agnello Hornby, a renowned lawyer, activist and writer, whose books have been translated into over 20 languages, received the award of Grand’Ufficiale dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia. The award was conferred by Sergio Mattarella, the President of Italy, and was presented by Pasquale Terracciano, the Italian ambassador to the UK. Guests at the ceremony included the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, British MPs, and important figures from the worlds of culture, journalism and social media, the latter a field in which Mrs Agnello Horby is highly active.
The ceremony was followed by a conversation between Mrs Agnello Hornby and the Financial Times journalist John Lloyd, in which she presented her latest literary work, Caffè Amaro, at the Italian Cultural Institute.
Motivation:
Simonetta Agnello Hornby
Awarded – Grande Ufficiale OSI
Simonetta Agnello Hornby has devoted her career, both as a lawyer and as a writer, to fighting on behalf of those without a voice.
In 1979 she established a law firm in Brixton, an area with a large immigrant population, specialising in family law and minors. The firm was a pioneer in the field of violence within families.
In 2000, Mrs Agnello Hornby began a parallel career as a novelist. Her books became bestsellers, popularising Italian tradition and culture.
Since 2012 she has collaborated with the Global Foundation for the Elimination of Domestic Violence, which operates in Italy through its EDV Italy branch.
In 2013 she published a collection of stories about domestic violence and femicide, set in Sicily.
On the basis of her excellent work in such important initiatives, I consider Mrs Agnello Hornby to fully merit the award of Ordine della Stella d’Italia, Grande Ufficiale rank.
Signed: Sergio Mattarella, President of the Republic of Italy
