Leonida Nikolai Giovannelli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Baron Leonida Nikolai Giovannelli
Leonida Nikolai Giovannelli, as he appeared on the dust jacket of his 1971 book, Exile on an Island
Born	Leonida Nikolai Giovannelli

Baron Leonida Nikolai Giovannelli was a writer and cultural activist. He was born in Italy but later became a citizen of the Isle of Man. He wrote many books and articles from the 1950s to the 1980s.

Early Life and Moving to the Isle of Man

Leonida Nikolai Giovannelli was born in 1906. He grew up on his family's estate in Abruzzo, Italy. Later, he worked for the Royal Italian Navy. He also worked at the Italian Embassy in London.

When World War II began, Giovannelli was living in England. Because he was Italian, he was held in special camps on the Isle of Man. These camps were for people from countries that were at war with Britain. He was held in Palace Camp and then Metropole Camp in Douglas.

While he was in the camp, he tried to visit his wife. He managed to escape briefly but was soon caught and returned. Sadly, his wife divorced him not long after.

Meeting Mona Douglas

During his time in the camp, Giovannelli joined a work group. They worked at a place called Ballaragh, near Laxey. There, he met Mona Douglas. She was a famous Manx folklorist, musician, poet, and writer. They became very close friends for the rest of their lives.

Life After Internment

After he was released from the camp, Giovannelli joined Mona Douglas. They tried to run a farm together at a place called Clarum. This farm was in the uplands, which are higher parts of the land.

The farming experiment lasted for six years. It ended in 1949 because they had too many debts. They had to sell the farm.

Books About Farm Life

Even though the farm didn't work out, this experience gave Giovannelli ideas for books.

• His book Experiments on a Manx Hill Farm (1956) won a gold medal. This award came from the Italian Academy of Science.
• Another book, Exile on an Island (1969), also won a gold medal. This was from the International Academy of Pontzen.

Interest in Manx Culture

Mona Douglas greatly influenced Giovannelli. He became very interested in Manx folklore and history. Folklore is the traditional stories and beliefs of a community.

He wrote many books and gave talks in different countries about these topics.

• He was a member of the International Folk Music Council.
• He often spoke on Manx Radio.
• He also wrote for newspapers on the Isle of Man.

In June 1968, he officially became a citizen of the Isle of Man.

Other Writings

Giovannelli wrote many other books.

• He wrote a series called The Manx Experience (1969 to 1973).
• The Black Sheep (1971) received an award called the Collar of Antares from the USA.
• The Paper Hero (1971) won the Gold Medal of the Academy of San Marco in Rome.

He also wrote a historical novel about the Garibaldi uprising. This book was called Who Loves this Land.

Poetry Collections

Giovannelli also wrote poetry. Some of his poetry collections include:

• Reminiscent Thoughts
• Bizarre Thoughts
• A Fleet of Thoughts

His poems appeared in many other publications. One poem was about his time in the World War II internment camp. It was published in Manninagh in 1971, which was edited by Mona Douglas.

Sometimes, when we go swimming,
We have the illusion of freedom for an hour.
The guards relax, they know we cannot swim far,
And we, too, relax, lazily floating
Or swimming out towards the horizon,
Away from the wired enclosures on the shore,
Facing the open sea,
Feeling the free, salt wind, the caress of the sun on our bodies...

Giovannelli passed away in the 1980s.