Armando Meoni was born in Prato (Porta Pistoiese) on the 18th of January 1894. His father, who was an active trade unionist, took him to the ambience of the "Camera del Lavoro", (trades union centre) where he first became interested in politics and in the problems of the working class. Since he was quite young he collaborated with the Pratese journal "Il Lavoro". His first political article was printed on the 31st of July 1909. He was also collaborating with the "Nuovo Giornale di Firenze" and with the weekly paper "La Lupa", directed by Paolo Orano. When he finished school, he continued his studies teaching himself. However he never neglected his interest in politics, the city life or his passion for the theatre. He started work in the office of a lawyer, then he was employed in a wool factory and finally he was a sales representative. During the second World War, he became part of the clandestine C.L.N. (Committee for the National Liberation). After the liberation of Italy he joined the Socialist Party and held the political positions of Deputy Mayor and Alderman of the city of Prato, officiating at the Town Hall in Prato, and was also a councilman of the Province entitled Provincial Adviser. For several years he was the Director of Prato's Hospital. After a break, during the world war, he continued his collaboration with such daily periodicals and papers as, "La Nazione", "Il Messaggero", "Il Resto del Carlino", and "La Nuova Antologia". His first novel "Creare" (Create), was printed by Mondadori in 1933, and was praised by literary critics. "La ragazza di Fabbrica" had several publications and was also translated and sold abroad. Other novels are: "La Cintola", "Povere Donne", "Assedio a Firenze", "La Parte del Diavolo", and many others all published by Vallecchi. Amongst the critics who wrote about his novels there are: Pietro Pancrazi (who thought that "Creare" had a great inner strength within it, summarised in its title), Enzo Palmieri, Emilio Cecchi, Riccardo Zevi, Giannino Zanelli, Arnaldo Bocelli, Renzo Cannavale, and Luigi Baldacci. He was a writer of international fame, and a clever narrator of Prato. There is evidence to show that Meoni loved his city. When in 1960 the review "Prato-Storia e Arte" was founded, he was happy to collaborate with it. In its second edition, (October 1960), there was already an article by him ( "Una cittą inesplorata alle porte di Firenze": An unexplored city near Florence). His contributions only ceased as a result of his death. In collaboration with the Azienda Autonoma di Turismo, a trilogy on Prato was written: Prato ieri (1971), Prato viva (1975) and La mano di Prato (1979). In the last book he tells us about the development of the city that had become the 25th city built in Italy. In this book he affectionately talks about the city of his childhood, of his youth and of his maturity. Armando Meoni died in Prato on the 23rd of November 1984.