{"id":237036,"date":"2026-07-17T10:58:05","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T10:58:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/conchiglia-canta\/"},"modified":"2026-07-18T13:15:04","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T13:15:04","slug":"shell-sing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/shell-sing\/","title":{"rendered":"La conchiglia che cantava ancora – The shell that still sang beautifully"},"content":{"rendered":"

La conchiglia che cantava ancora<\/span><\/h1>\n

C\u2019era una volta, a Ischia, una conchiglia di nome Lina<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Lina viveva attaccata a uno scoglio, vicino al mare di Sant\u2019Angelo. Accanto a lei c\u2019era un\u2019altra conchiglia, Toni<\/strong>. Stavano insieme da sempre. Ridevano con le onde e cantavano con il vento.<\/p>\n

Tutti dicevano:
\n\u201cGuardate Lina e Toni, che bella coppia.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Un giorno arriv\u00f2 una burrasca fortissima. Il mare si arrabbi\u00f2, le onde ruggirono e fecero un rumore enorme.<\/p>\n

Quando l\u2019acqua finalmente si calm\u00f2, Toni non c\u2019era pi\u00f9. Il mare se l\u2019era portato via.<\/p>\n

Lina rimase sola sullo scoglio.<\/p>\n

Il primo giorno pianse cos\u00ec tanto che l\u2019acqua divent\u00f2 ancora pi\u00f9 salata. Il secondo giorno non cant\u00f2. Il terzo giorno guard\u00f2 il mare e disse:<\/p>\n

\u201cLa mia canzone \u00e8 finita. Senza Toni, a chi la canto?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Quella notte venne a trovarla il Granchio Vecchio<\/strong>. Aveva le zampe lente e gli occhi pieni di mare.<\/p>\n

\u201cLina\u201d<\/em>, disse, \u201cperch\u00e9 sei diventata silenziosa?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cPerch\u00e9 Toni se n\u2019\u00e8 andato\u201d<\/em>, rispose lei. \u201cE senza di lui la musica \u00e8 finita.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Il Granchio rise piano.<\/p>\n

\u201cSciocca. Il mare non finisce perch\u00e9 un\u2019onda va via. Ne arriva un\u2019altra. E un\u2019altra ancora.<\/em><\/p>\n

Tu non eri la canzone di Toni. Tu eri la conchiglia che cantava. E le conchiglie cantano anche da sole.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Lina non riusciva a crederci.<\/p>\n

Ma il giorno dopo prov\u00f2. Apr\u00ec un poco il guscio e fece shhh<\/strong> insieme al vento.<\/p>\n

Arrivarono i pesci ad ascoltarla. Il giorno dopo cant\u00f2 pi\u00f9 forte e vennero anche le stelle marine. Dopo una settimana, tutto lo scoglio si fermava ad ascoltarla.<\/p>\n

Un anno dopo pass\u00f2 un\u2019altra conchiglia. Si chiamava Mareo<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Non era Toni. Rideva in modo diverso e cantava una melodia diversa.<\/p>\n

Si ferm\u00f2 ad ascoltare Lina e disse:<\/p>\n

\u201cChe bella voce hai.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

E rimase l\u00ec, vicino a lei.<\/p>\n

Lina cap\u00ec allora una cosa importante.<\/p>\n

Toni era stato il suo primo mare. Un amore bello e prezioso.<\/p>\n

Ma la sua vita non era finita insieme a lui.<\/p>\n

Perch\u00e9 lei non era \u201cla conchiglia di Toni\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lei era Lina.<\/strong><\/p>\n

E Lina cantava.<\/p>\n

\n

Morale<\/h2>\n

Quando qualcuno va via dalla tua vita, fa male. \u00c8 vero.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ma la vita non \u00e8 una canzone a due voci.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00c8 la tua voce. E finch\u00e9 respiri, puoi continuare a cantare.<\/em><\/p>\n

Il mare porta via, ma il mare porta anche.<\/em><\/p>\n

E tu non smettere mai di restare sullo scoglio.<\/em><\/p>\n

Fine<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nonna Zaira<\/p>\n

\"La
La conchiglia che cantava ancora Image by Grok<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The shell that still sang beautifully<\/h1>\n

Once upon a time, on the island of Ischia, there was a seashell named Lina.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lina lived attached to a rock by the sea near Sant’Angelo. Beside her was another seashell, Toni. They had always been together. They laughed with the waves and sang with the wind.<\/p>\n

Everyone would say,
\n“Look at Lina and Toni. What a beautiful pair.”<\/em><\/p>\n

One day, a terrible storm arrived. The sea grew furious, the waves roared, and the sound was deafening.<\/p>\n

When the water finally became calm again, Toni was gone.<\/p>\n

The sea had carried him away.<\/p>\n

Lina was left alone on the rock.<\/p>\n

On the first day, she cried so much that the water became even saltier. On the second day, she did not sing. On the third day, she looked out at the sea and said,<\/p>\n

“My song is over. Without Toni, who will I sing it to?”<\/em><\/p>\n

That night, the Old Crab came to visit her. His legs moved slowly, and his eyes were filled with the wisdom of the sea.<\/p>\n

“Lina,” he asked, “why have you become so quiet?”<\/p>\n

“Because Toni is gone,” she replied. “Without him, the music has ended.”<\/p>\n

The Old Crab chuckled softly.<\/p>\n

“Silly little shell. The sea doesn’t end because one wave is gone. Another one comes. And then another.<\/em><\/p>\n

You were never Toni’s song. You were the shell that sang. And shells can sing even when they are alone.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Lina found it hard to believe.<\/p>\n

But the next day she tried. She opened her shell just a little and whispered shhh<\/em> with the wind.<\/p>\n

The fish came to listen.<\/p>\n

The following day, she sang a little louder, and the starfish came too.<\/p>\n

A week later, every creature on the rock would stop to listen to her song.<\/p>\n

A year later, another seashell drifted by.<\/p>\n

His name was Mareo.<\/p>\n

He wasn’t Toni. He laughed differently and sang a different melody.<\/p>\n

He stopped to listen to Lina and said,<\/p>\n

“You have a beautiful voice.”<\/em><\/p>\n

And he stayed beside her.<\/p>\n

That was when Lina understood something important.<\/p>\n

Toni had been her first sea.<\/p>\n

A beautiful and precious love.<\/p>\n

But her life had not ended with him.<\/p>\n

Because she wasn’t Toni’s seashell.<\/em><\/p>\n

She was Lina.<\/p>\n

And Lina sang.<\/p>\n

\n

Moral<\/h2>\n

When someone leaves your life, it hurts. That’s true.<\/p>\n

But life is not a song sung by two voices.<\/p>\n

It is your<\/strong> voice.<\/p>\n

And as long as you breathe, you can keep singing.<\/p>\n

The sea takes away…<\/p>\n

but the sea also brings.<\/p>\n

And whatever happens,<\/p>\n

never stop holding on to your rock.<\/p>\n

The End.<\/p>\n

Nonna Zaira<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Review<\/h2>\n

The Shell That Still Sang<\/strong><\/em> is a gentle and meaningful fairy tale about the pain of loss, but above all, about the journey of self-discovery.<\/p>\n

Lina’s story is not only about losing Toni, but also about an inner transformation. Before they were separated, Lina found her happiness mainly through being with Toni and never fully realized the value of her own voice. She saw herself as one half of a pair, as though her beauty and her ability to sing depended on the presence of the other shell.<\/p>\n

When the sea carries Toni away, Lina is overcome with grief. Yet it is through that sorrow that she learns something truly important: she has worth even on her own. Guided by the wise words of the Old Crab, she discovers that she was never simply “Toni’s shell.” She is Lina\u2014a seashell with a voice that belongs entirely to her.<\/p>\n

With a simple yet poetic style, \u00a0Zaira Sellerio<\/a><\/strong>, writing under the affectionate name Nonna <\/strong>(Grandma)<\/em> Zaira<\/strong>, tells a story born from the heart and shaped by a deep understanding of human emotions. This enchanting tale speaks to both children and adults, reminding us that we often learn to love ourselves only when we begin to listen to our own hearts. It is a story of courage, renewal, and the realization that every person carries a unique light and a melody all their own.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/mark><\/mark>Zaira Sellerio’s book <\/mark>\u201eIl coraggio \u00e8 femmin<\/mark><\/mark><\/mark><\/mark>a\u201c<\/mark><\/mark>(<\/mark><\/em><\/mark><\/em><\/mark>C<\/em><\/mark>ourage Is Female<\/em>) is now available in Italian on Amazon!<\/mark><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Some of the awards and honors received for her work<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • \n
      \n
    • National Poetry Prize \u201cArturo Massimi\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 Mentana (Rome), October 1999.<\/li>\n
    • Narrative Prize Plaque<\/strong> \u2013 International Competition \u201cPelosa\u201d, Messina, November 2000.<\/li>\n
    • Poetry Award Plaque<\/strong> \u2013 Province of Rome, October 2000.<\/li>\n
    • International Literary Competition \u201cAntonio de Curtis \u2013 Tot\u00f2\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 Rome.<\/li>\n
    • \u201cPoets and Society\u201d Prize<\/strong> \u2013 German-Swiss Delegation, International Competition \u2013 Honorable Mention.<\/li>\n
    • Unpublished Poetry Prize \u201cL\u2019Attualit\u00e0 \u2013 Bartolucci\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 5th Edition, Finalist Diploma, October 27, 2001.<\/li>\n
    • International Artistic-Literary Competition \u201cAntonio de Curtis \u2013 Tot\u00f2\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 Rome, October 22, 2002.<\/li>\n
    • ALIAS Award<\/strong> \u2013 Italian-Australian Writers\u2019 Academy, in collaboration with C.R.A.S.E.S. Palermo.<\/li>\n
    • International Literary Competition<\/strong> \u2013 3rd Ex Aequo Poetry Prize, October 10, 2003.<\/li>\n
    • First Poetry Prize \u201cIl Salotto dell\u2019Arte\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 Rome, March 22, 2009.<\/li>\n
    • \u201cA Life for Culture\u201d Prize<\/strong> \u2013 \u201cIl Salotto dell\u2019Arte\u201d Gallery, Rome.<\/li>\n
    • 4th International Literary Prize \u201cEuropa\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 for the novel From the Depths of the Heart<\/em>, Lugano, May 11, 2014.<\/li>\n
    • 2nd Navarro Prize<\/strong> \u2013 for the novel From the Depths of the Heart<\/em>, Sambuca di Sicilia, Sicily, May 13, 2018.<\/li>\n
    • Special Lilly Broggi Prize \u201cLa Pergola Arte\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 for the novel From the Depths of the Heart<\/em>, Florence, October 27, 2018.<\/li>\n
    • 5th Literary Prize \u201cMassa, Fairy-Tale City of Sea and Marble\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 Versilia Club, for the novel From the Depths of the Heart<\/em>, September 28, 2019.<\/li>\n
    • 1st International Prize \u201cDonne d\u2019Amore\u201d V. Barrett<\/strong> \u2013 Female Universe Section, Poetry Category, for On the Steps of Piazza di Spagna<\/em>.<\/li>\n
    • 1st Prize \u2013 Literature Section (Novel)<\/strong> \u2013 for Courage Is Female<\/em>, Rome, May 22, 2023.<\/li>\n
    • Poetry Prize \u201cAt Your Feet\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 City of Mercogliano (AV), for the poem And There I Met My Mother<\/em>, September 8, 2024.<\/li>\n
    • 11th Edition San Valentino Prize \u2013 City of Atripalda (AV)<\/strong> \u2013 Cupido World Wide Section, for the poem \u201cIch habe dich geliebt\u201d (I Loved You)<\/em>, April 26\u201327, 2025.<\/li>\n
    • Prize Belli \u2013 Lami 2026 \u2013 <\/strong>Accademia Tiberina, Roma \u2013 Recognition for the book \u201cIl coraggio \u00e8 femmina<\/em>\u201d, June 25, 2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Lina\u2019s fairy tale: the story of a seashell who, after experiencing a loss, discovers her own worth and learns to love herself as well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":237030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[390,2103,210,257,2463],"tags":[539,2283,1850,2471,2468],"class_list":["post-237036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-canton-aargau","category-italian-culture","category-magazine","category-switzerland","category-zairas-corner","tag-culture-en","tag-italian-language","tag-italians-abroad","tag-literary-work","tag-zaira-sellerio-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=237036"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237036\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":237040,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237036\/revisions\/237040"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/237030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=237036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=237036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=237036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}