He published three books, the collection of poetry Codice Siciliano (The Sicilian Code), the epic Horcynus Orca (Killer Whale, ISBN 88-17-87228-8) and the novel Cima delle Nobildonne.
Originally it was called La testa del delfino, and was renamed I giorni della fera (that became I Fatti della Fera) for its first planned publication in 1961 on the review Menabó, directed by Elio Vittorini.
In 2000, the galley proofs of I fatti della fera were published (ISBN 88-17-66981-4), giving readers a chance to compare the two versions: 1961's 660 pages, and 1975's 1,270.
D’Arrigo dedicated Horcynus Orca to his wife Jutta Bruto because she helped him in the drafting of it.
An excerpt appears in Peter Forbes's translation of Primo Levi's anthology, The Search for Roots (ISBN 1566635047).