‘I Danced with the Devil’ (Ho ballato con il diavolo) is the latest book of Italian writer and former clinical psychologist Calì Velela
Milan / New Delhi
Italian writer and former clinical psychologist Calì Velela is expanding her literary footprint onto the global stage, bridging psychology, narrative fiction, and poetry to shed light on invisible emotional trauma and psychological abuse.
Velela, who holds a degree in Clinical and Community Psychology and spent 18 years on the Professional Register in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, focuses her work on subtle, non-physical forms of violence. Her narratives explore coercive control, psychological manipulation, isolation, and the gradual erosion of self-determination.
A Literary Trajectory Rooted in Survival and Rebirth
Velela’s latest release, Ho ballato con il diavolo (I Danced with the Devil), published by Pegasus Edition, presents an epistolary memoir centered on a true narrative of loss, survival, and recovery. Through the eyes of its protagonist, Estella, the book reconstructs a fragmented life to examine identity after trauma.
The author’s previous works have earned several honors across Italy: International Juan Montalvo Literary Art Prize: Third Prize in the Unpublished Fiction category for La Rishika – colei che vede dove nessuno guarda (She Who Sees Where No One Looks); 8th International Literary Award Carità è Donarsi: Special Prize for a Book Outside Competition for La Rishika; 9th International Poetry and Literature Prize Isola d’Elba: Recognition for Ascoltando i silenzi del mare.
Cultural Advocacy Against Psychological Violence
In addition to her publishing efforts, Velela actively engages in public advocacy. During Milan Design Week, she participated in Custode, an event hosted by 03STUDIO LAB at the historic Rotonda della Besana in support of the USIC (Unione Sindacale Italiana Carabinieri). Appearing alongside journalist Dr. h.c. Milena Renzi and poet Rodolfo Vettorello, the event linked literature and design with social awareness.
Building on that collaboration, Velela and Dr. Renzi are developing La violenza che non lascia lividi (The Violence That Leaves No Bruises), an educational initiative based in Milan’s Brera district. The project aims to inform the public about non-physical abuse and systemic manipulation without resorting to sensationalism, providing clear pathways toward psychological recovery.
Bridging Borders: Selection for Immersive Voices
Velela’s work is now entering international cross-cultural dialogue through her inclusion in IMMERSIVE VOICES – Poems of Sensitivity and Sublimity. The anthology is promoted by the India-based International Academy of Ethics (IAE), an organization led by founder-president Dr. Jernail Singh Anand and vice president Dr. Maja Herman Sekulic.
The publication, chief-edited by Dr. Anand and edited by Dr. Renzi, brings together international poetic voices examining ethics, human sensitivity, and contemporary social realities. The collaboration was facilitated in part by Greek poet and IAE World Ambassador Eva Lianou Petropoulou, whose work connects writers across international borders.
Velela’s inclusion in IMMERSIVE VOICES marks her formal transition into published poetry and signals an ongoing effort to bring discussions surrounding psychological recovery to an international audience.
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