Marco Rafalà

Born in Middletown, Connecticut,{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://www.marcorafala.com/about |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=marcorafala |language=en}} he earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English literature from Albertus Magnus College and a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Creative Writing from The New School.https://www.albertus.edu/policy-reports/advancement-publications/documents/from-the-hill-archive-dec-2004.pdf

Marco Rafalà's award-winning debut novel How Fires End was published in October 2019 by Little A. Formerly a musician, Rafalà spent the 1990s recording and touring with various indie bands until he accompanied his father on a trip to Melilli, Sicily, his father's birthplace. He spent the next ten years writing what would become his first novel, taking inspiration from his time in Sicily and the stories his father told him about growing up during and after the Second World War.{{cite news |last=Cuda |first=Amanda |date=2020-10-02 |title=CT native's book tells a different Sicilian story |url=https://www.ctpost.com/living/article/CT-native-s-book-tells-a-different-Sicilian-15616904.php |newspaper=Connecticut Post |accessdate=2023-11-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607220725/https://www.ctpost.com/living/article/CT-native-s-book-tells-a-different-Sicilian-15616904.php |archivedate=2021-06-07 }}

On October 15, 2019, How Fires End, the debut novel by Marco Rafalà, was officially introduced during a book launch event held at Ferrara Bakery & Cafe in New York City. The occasion featured a discussion with novelist, poet, and translator Idra Novey, moderated by poet and editor Hafizah Geter, along with musical performances by Solo Di Gondolieri.{{Cite web |title=HOW FIRES END Book Launch at Ferrara Bakery & Cafe |url=http://wetheitalians.com/single_post/how-fires-end-book-launch-ferrara-bakery-cafe |access-date=2023-12-26 |website=We the Italians}} Rafalà also appeared at the Wesleyan RJ Julia Booksellers in Middletown, Connecticut, with novelist, Juliet Grames (The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna), in 2019 to discuss his novel and its ties to the Italian American immigrant community there.{{cite news |date=2019-10-09 |title=Write Stuff: Justice Sotomayor in Meriden, 'Is Shakespeare dead?', witchcraft in Connecticut |url=https://www.courant.com/2019/10/09/write-stuff-justice-sotomayor-in-meriden-is-shakespeare-dead-witchcraft-in-connecticut/ |newspaper=Hartford Courant |accessdate=2023-11-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20231118083409/https://www.courant.com/2019/10/09/write-stuff-justice-sotomayor-in-meriden-is-shakespeare-dead-witchcraft-in-connecticut/ |archivedate=2023-11-18 }}{{Cite web |title=Master Calendar - Event Details - Bookstore Event: Marco Rafala in conversation with Juliet Grames |url=https://eaglet.wesleyan.edu/MasterCalendar/EventDetails.aspx?EventDetailId=89355 |access-date=2023-12-27 |website=eaglet.wesleyan.edu}} Other book tour events included the fifth installment of New Haven's "Songs and Stories," on December 28, 2019,{{Cite web |date=2019-12-23 |title=This Week in New Haven (December 23 - 29) |url=https://dailynutmeg.com/2019/12/23/week-new-haven-december-23-29/ |access-date=2023-12-23 |website=Daily Nutmeg}} the 2020 Bazaar Writers Salon in San Francisco,{{cite news |date=2020-01-23 |title=Bazaar Writers Salon |url=https://archive.org/details/sf-weekly-2020-01-23/page/20/ |newspaper=SF Weekly |via=Internet Archive |accessdate=2023-11-18 }} the Argenta Reading Series in North Little Rock, Arkansas,{{Cite web |title=Argenta Reading Series : Readers |url=https://www.argentareadingseries.com/copy-of-readers |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=argentareadingseries |language=en}} At the Inkwell in Denver, Colorado,{{Cite web |last=Bohlen |first=Teague |title=Book It: The Five Best Literary Events This Week |url=https://www.westword.com/arts/things-for-book-lovers-to-do-in-denver-this-week-february-4-to-10-2020-11628194 |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=Westword |language=en}} and a discussion at Village Books in Bellingham, Washington, with Rena Priest (Poet Laureate of Washington State, 2021-2023).{{Cite web |date=2020-01-02 |title=January Author Events at Village Books |url=https://www.whatcomtalk.com/2020/01/02/january-author-events-at-village-books/ |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=WhatcomTalk |language=en-US}}

Rafalà has also written for many leading tabletop roleplaying games, including Star Trek Adventures, The One Ring Roleplaying Game, Lex Arcana, and Beowulf: Age of Heroes.{{Cite web|url=https://continuingmissionsta.com/2018/09/26/an-interview-with-author-marco-rafala/|title = An Interview with Author Marco Rafalà |date = 26 September 2018 |website=continuingmissionsta.com}}

• Named a best book of 2019 by Writer’s Bone{{Cite web|url=http://www.writersbone.com/book-recommendations/2019/12/17/the-best-books-of-2019|title=The Best Books of 2019|date=18 December 2019 }}
• Named a best book of 2020 by The Brooklyn Rail{{Cite web|url=https://brooklynrail.org/2020/12/books/The-Best-of-the-Brooklyn-Rails-Books-in-2020|title = The Best of the Brooklyn Rail's Books in 2020|date = 14 December 2020}}
• Winner of the 2020 Best Book Awards in Literary Fiction at the American Book Festival{{Cite web|url=http://americanbookfest.com/generalfiction/literary.html|title = American Book Fest}}
• A 2020 Connecticut Book Awards finalist and honorable mention{{Cite web|url=https://ctcenterforthebook.org/2020-connecticut-book-awards-winners/|title = » 2020 Connecticut Book Awards Winners}}
• Winner of the 2021 Italian American Studies Association Book Award{{cite web | url=https://www.italianamericanstudies.net/cpages/bookaward | title=IASA Book Award }}

• How Fires End, Little A, 2019Hardcover {{ISBN|978-1542042970}}, Paperback {{ISBN|978-1542042994}}, Audiobook {{ISBN| 978-1721354412}}

• “Tenebre”, Bellevue Literary Review, Volume 1, Number 1, Fall 2001{{Cite web|url=https://blreview.org/table-of-contents/issue-1/|title = Issue 01 – Bellevue Literary Review| date=22 June 2020 }}

• “When a Family Measures Time by its Losses,” Literary Hub, November 6, 2019,https://lithub.com/when-a-family-measures-time-by-its-losses/https://lithub.com/when-a-family-measures-time-by-its-losses/
• “How a Trip to My Father’s Village in Sicily Inspired a Novel That Took Ten Years to Write,” [https://issuu.com/ordersonsofitaly/docs/italian_america_magazine_-_spring_2020 Italian America, Vol XXV, No.2, Spring 2020]{{Cite web|url=https://www.osia.org/italian-america-magazine/about-italian-america/|title = About Italian America Magazine}}

The One Ring Roleplaying Game — An award-winning tabletop game based on the novels by J. R. R. Tolkien and published by Cubicle 7 Entertainment.

• “What Lies Beneath,” written with Richard Harrison for Ruins of the North{{Cite web |title=Ruins of the North |website=Tolkien Gateway |url=https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Ruins_of_the_North }}
• Journeys & Maps, Contributing Author{{Cite web |title=Journeys and Maps |website=Tolkien Gateway |url=https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Journeys_and_Maps }}
• Adventurer’s Companion, Contributing Author{{Cite web |title=Adventurer's Companion |website=Tolkien Gatewayy |url=https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Adventurer%27s_Companion }}

Star Trek Adventures — an award-winning tabletop roleplaying game published by Modiphius Entertainment.

• “A World With A Bluer Sun” for These Are The Voyages, Mission Compendium I{{Cite web |last=Dismuke |first=Michael |date=2018-09-26 |title=An Interview with Author Marco Rafalà - |url=https://continuingmissionsta.com/2018/09/26/an-interview-with-author-marco-rafala/ |access-date=2023-12-25 |website=Continuing Mission}}
• “Plato’s Cave” for Strange New Worlds, Mission Compendium II{{Cite web |title=Strange New Worlds: Mission Compendium Vol. 2 |url=https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/295117/strange-new-worlds-mission-compendium-vol-2 |access-date=2023-12-25 |website=RPGGeek}}
• Alpha Quadrant Sourcebook, Contributing Author{{Cite web |title=Alpha Quadrant Sourcebook |url=https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/285191/alpha-quadrant-sourcebook |access-date=2023-12-25 |website=RPGGeek}}
• “A Forest Apart,” a standalone PDF adventure
• “A Star Beyond the Stars,” an introductory campaign for the Star Trek Adventures Starter Set{{Cite web |title=Star Trek Adventures Starter Campaign PDF |url=https://www.modiphius.net/en-us/products/star-trek-adventures-starter-campaign-pdf |access-date=2023-12-25 |website=Modiphius Entertainment}}

Lex Arcana — a historical-fantasy roleplaying game set in a world where the Roman Empire never fell. Published by Quality Games.

• “Eye of the Cyclops” for Mysteries of the Empire{{Cite web|url=https://www.acheron.it/Lex-Arcana-I-Misteri-dellImpero-vol-1-p283154415|title = Lex Arcana – I Misteri dell'Impero vol. 1}}

Beowulf: Age of Heroes — a critically acclaimed tabletop roleplaying game setting based on one of the oldest recorded stories in Western Europe. Published by Handiwork Games.

• Horror at Herrogate{{Cite web |date=18 March 2021 |title=Writer Interview Marco Rafalà - Handiwork Games |url=https://handiwork.games/writer-interview-marco-rafala.html }}

Forts & Frontiers — a historical roleplaying game set in 17th and 18th century North America, based on the D&D 5E rules set. Published by Campaign Games.

• The Feast of the Dead, a starter scenario written with Jameson Proctor, written for Free RPG Day 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/278614/feast-dead|title=The Feast of the Dead}}

• Shooting at the Moon (1998, re-edited 2003), Directed by Jesse Richards and Nicholas Watson, as Speaking Man{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427855/|title = Shooting at the Moon (Short 2003)| website=IMDb }}

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Category:1971 births

Category:21st-century American male writers

Category:Albertus Magnus College alumni

Category:American writers of Italian descent

Category:Italian-American literature

Category:Living people

Category:Novelists from Connecticut

Category:People from Middletown, Connecticut

Category:Role-playing game designers

Category:Sicilian diaspora in the United States

Category:The New School alumni