Sebastiano Vassalli (24 October 1941 – 26 July 2015) was an Italian author. He wrote the 2007 novel The Italian (L'italiano). Vassalli was born in Genoa, Italy in 1941. His mother are from Tuscany and father were from Lombardy. At a very young age, he was abandoned to relatives in Novara for some flour and oil. He went on to complete his Bachelor of arts degree in Milan. Soon after, Vassalli partnered with Cesare Musatti and wrote a book on Psychoanalysis and Contemporary Art which ultimately began his career as a notable author.