Graham Hofmann’s Italian Journey Beyond the Guidebooks
Wendy reviews books set in Italy. For more articles like this one, subscribe to her Substack channel Italy Writers and get in touch via Sunflower Publishing. Privacy policy.
Most of us return from holiday with a souvenir, a suntan, or perhaps a fleeting fantasy of starting over. Graham Hofmann came back from Italy with a house. “I visited Italy for the very first time back in 2005,” he explains. “I’d only ever been on a day trip to Venice from the former Yugoslavia, but this time I travelled around for three weeks. I stumbled across Umbria, then Gubbio—and just fell in love.”
It might sound like a romantic whim, but it was anything but flippant. “I’d been thinking about buying a house abroad for years,” Graham admits. “But I never imagined it would actually happen.” Armed with nothing more than a phrasebook and an open heart, he found himself unexpectedly in the mountains of Umbria, contemplating what he describes as “the biggest gamble” of his life.
A Gamble That Paid Off
“I spent three days trying to decide whether to do it or not,” he recalls. “You hear all sorts of horror stories about buying properties in Italy—that it might belong to three brothers, and only two want to sell, or you end up with a nonna living in the attic you didn’t know about.”
Despite all that, Graham took the plunge. He bought a house in Casa Colli, near Copplalumbo, with breathtaking views and a village so small it barely appeared on maps. “I assumed, naively, that if it didn’t work out, I’d just sell it,” he laughs. “I had no idea how difficult it is to sell a house in Italy. But it turned out to be the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Total Immersion
Graham didn’t just buy a home; he found himself welcomed with open arms. “My Italian was non-existent,” he says, “but my neighbours adopted me. I’m still the strange Englishman who bought a house that no Italians would probably touch, but I’m one of them now.”
This sense of belonging wasn’t just social nicety. It was heartfelt. “When you get acceptance in Italy,” he says, “it’s not like moving into a village in England. It’s not just a nod and a polite ‘hello.’ You’re taken in like family.”
He recalls pushing Christmas cards through doors after buying the house. “At Easter, I came back and spoke to the neighbours for the first time. I was invited in for coffee, lunch and dinner. They didn’t speak much English, and my Italian was dreadful, but that didn’t matter.”
One neighbour, he remembers, used to stop his car whenever he saw Graham in the garden. “He’d ask if I wanted a coffee. We’d drive down to the bar, have an espresso, and come back. That was it. But it meant everything. In the UK, it’s a pint in the pub. In Italy, it’s an espresso. It says: you’re one of us.”
Life Among the Sunflowers
Graham’s book, Lorenzo’s Vest, captures this experience with warmth, humour, and surprising emotional heft. It’s not a guidebook, nor is it another breathless ode to la dolce vita. Instead, it offers something more grounded—a deeply personal look at the highs and lows of integrating into a different culture.
“I didn’t want to write one of those books where Italy is portrayed as paradise on earth,” he explains. “Yes, I love Italy—that’s why I’m there—but it’s not all sunshine and wine. There are frustrations too.”
From baffling bureaucracy to failed attempts at buying tiles, Graham spares no detail. But it’s all delivered with good humour. “I wanted the kind of book where you nudge your partner and say, ‘Did you know this? Did this happen to us?'”
There’s history, politics, and sharp cultural insight, but it’s the sense of place that lingers. He writes about “countless medieval towns and villages, unending fields of sunflowers, sitting under olive trees with neighbours sipping red wine, the scent of wild herbs, the glow of fireflies, deep blue skies and an endless supply of hot sunny days.”
Becoming Part of the Landscape
Graham has now become embedded in his adopted community. “I’m part of the local archery team—though I’m terrible at it,” he admits. “And the athletics club, Gubbio Runners. I’m involved in local associations. I’m not just the Englishman anymore.”
Retirement has allowed him to spend more time in Umbria, although becoming a grandfather has slightly altered that balance. “I now split my time between Yorkshire and Umbria. I have two homes, and I love them both.”
Writing the Story He Wanted to Read
The book almost didn’t happen. Graham began jotting down notes shortly after buying the house, but stopped midway. “I thought, will anyone really be interested?” It was his daughters who encouraged him to finish. “They said, ‘Even if it’s not well received, at least you’ve done it.'”
It took 18 months to complete. The title, Lorenzo’s Vest, came late in the game, after a funny village moment that friends insisted would make the perfect name. “People are curious about it, and that helps.”
What Comes Next: Capo of the Cheese
With Lorenzo’s Vest behind him, Graham is now working on a second book: Capo of the Cheese. “This one’s about what it’s really like to live in Italy, not just visit,” he says. “The frustrations are different, deeper. But so are the rewards.”
The new book also explores the wider world—including chapters on the Mafia, the rise of nationalism in Italy and the UK, the impact of Brexit, and the effects of Covid-19. “It’s not just my story; it’s about the context we’re all living through.”
He still wants it to entertain. “There are anecdotes, of course. But also a deeper look at Italian society and politics. It’s a blend. A little Eric Newby, a little Bill Bryson, hopefully something people can relate to.”
An Author by Surprise
Despite the success of Lorenzo’s Vest, Graham is modest. “When someone calls me an author, I still hesitate. But people have read it. They’ve connected with it. That’s what matters.”
Asked what literary success means to him, he replies: “I wrote the book I would have wanted to read. That’s it. If money or recognition comes from that, great. But the real joy is in knowing people are enjoying it.”
As for what he’d tell someone considering their own Italian leap of faith? “Go for it. Take the risk. But don’t just live in the house—live in the community. Accept the espresso. Join the festa. It changes everything.”
Lorenzo’s Vest is available on Amazon and other major platforms. Graham is currently preparing an eBook release, exploring audiobook possibilities, and hopes to publish Italian and Dutch editions in the future.
See another author interview here
