Ellie in First Position

Brian Freschi has worked in the theatre and the performing arts for many years. He studied scriptwriting at the Accademia Internationale di Comics in Florence and has collaborated with the Manticora Collective since 2015. Brian's books have been released by numerous publishers of children's literature and comics. His work has been translated in many countries, including France and the U.S. He teaches scriptwriting at The Sign Academy in Florence and was nominated as Best Writer in the 2020 Boscarato Awards at the Treviso Comic Book Festival.


Elena Triolo is an illustrator and cartoonist from Tuscany. She has worked with the major Italian publishing houses and many different brands, and she teaches comics and illustration to adults and children. Elena has two major passions--drawing and ballet--and has a huge following on social media under her profile, @carotecannella. Ellie in First Position is the dynamic duo's first graphic novel together.


Award-winning opera singer Nanette McGuinness is the translator of over 90 books and graphic novels for children and adults from French, Italian, German, and Spanish into English, including the much-loved Geronimo Stilton graphic novels. Her translation of Luisa: Now and Then was a 2019 Stonewall Honor Book and a 2020 GLLI YA Translated Honor Book.