Do I Bark Like a Dog?
Publishing as an industry is obsessed with new – books yet to come out… but what about the brilliant books that have already been published? Each month we spotlight a different author whose book was published more than a year ago, which you might be yet to meet… This month we hear from Michael Volpe about the brilliant Do I Bark Like a Dog?…
Shuffling the Shelves: Do I Bark Like a Dog? by Michael Volpe
What inspired you to write Do I Bark Like a Dog?
I had this nagging, gnawing feeling of not 'belonging' for as long as I can remember, but while I always identified as an Italian, I never really saw my discombobulation as a problem. Brexit changed that and I suddenly became aware of my 'difference'. Perhaps more importantly, in the years since Brexit, things have become more ethno-nationalist and there are far too many people who believe that being born in Britain is simply not enough.
Are there any main themes or points you want the reader to take away from your book?
That cultural identity is important and enriching for any society – it doesn't matter where that is. A society is not made up of a homogenous culture, and it would be dreadful if it were. Crucially, just because someone identifies with a particular culture within Britain, it doesn't mean they eschew or 'hate' Britain or British culture.
Which other writers do you most admire and why?
Clive James is probably my favourite writer. He just has a way of crafting a phrase or a sentence to make it beautiful and funny and thought-provoking. I simply haven't laughed as much as I have reading James's autobiographies. If I am honest, I try to rip him off endlessly. I have more recently had a fancy again for the American classics and in particular Truman Capote. I admire writers who can paint pictures without reams of descriptive prose and whose fluidity just carries you through the book breathlessly. Both James and Capote do that.
Are there any books which have changed your life?
I'm not sure if it 'changed my life' but Z for Zachariah by Robert C O'Brien had a deeply profound and terrifying impact on me as a young man. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy O'Toole made me realise how vividly a character could be painted, how outrageously exaggerated they can be, and the story still carry some credibility. Absolute genius I thought.
What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?
It wasn't advice given to me directly but it was a phrase Clive James used to describe his process: he said that he 'polishes the prose until it catches the sun' (or words to that effect). So If I were offering advice to a writer, it would be to cut, polish, cut, polish and cut again. Do you really need those 100 words describing a field of corn?
What drew you to non-fiction over other genres?
My inability to finish a novel! I have plenty of real and insane material that needed regurgitating!
What’s the strangest job (besides writing) that you’ve ever had?
I was a security guard at the Boat Show at the age of 14, searching bags at the height of the IRA bombings.
Where do you write?
At my kitchen table.
What’s the best place to read?
Ideally, on a sun bed by the ocean.
You’re hosting a literary dinner party. Which famous writer do you invite?
Because he would be a spicy, riveting gossip, Truman Capote.
What’s the background music at your dinner party?
Jazz and soul.
Any outlandish hobbies?
I play the drums and make music, which isn't outrageous. I do a lot of weights at the gym, which given my injury history is quite an outrageous thing to do.
What’s next?
I'm toying with short stories based on fantastical versions of my family story. I have a play written based on my first book, Noisy at the Wrong Times, which I'd quite like to get produced.
– Michael Volpe, March 2026
We're delighted to offer the signed, limited hardback edition half-price, this month only.
Do I Bark Like a Dog? (Signed Ltd Hardback Edition)
How an Italian Family History Shaped a Boy in London
Original price was: £25.00.£12.50Current price is: £12.50.
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Growing up in the heart of London’s immigrant Italian community, Michael Volpe always felt disconnected from the UK, the country of his birth. He felt different to his friends, had alternative cultural experiences, and never truly felt he belonged – an unease that has been exacerbated by Brexit for many immigrant families living in the UK.
Exploring his colourful, rich and often dramatic life in London and summers spent in southern Italy among his large extended family, Do I Bark Like a Dog? considers the roots of Volpe’s identity. Delving into family secrets and lies, he discovers how extraordinary events filtered through time to propel his unlikely but successful career in opera.
Evocatively written and featuring circus stars, fascists and faked deaths, Do I Bark Like a Dog? is a deeply moving testimony to Volpe’s mother and her family, and an extraordinary journey into the heart of a life that has left an indelible mark on the world of opera.
Up next…
We asked Michael to choose the next book to join the shuffled shelves, so join us here to find out more about Playing with Reality: Gaming in a Pandemic.
Michael said:
I thought the pandemic was a remarkable ‘social’ event and so many strange and wonderful things came out of it.