Vittorio Sereni
Encyclopedia
Vittorio Sereni was an Italian poet, author, editor and translator of Jewish heritage. His poetry frequently addressed the themes of 20th century Italian history, such as Fascism
, Italy's military defeat in World War II, and its postwar resurgence.
Born at Luino
, Sereni graduated from the University of Milan
in 1936. In 1938, he co-founded the literary review Corrente di Vita
. In 1941, he published Frontiera, his first collection of poetry. He was drafted into the Italian Army during World War II
: captured by Allied forces in 1943, he spent the rest of the war in POW camps in Algeria
and Morocco
. These experiences formed the basis for his second poetry book, Diario d'Algeria.
After the war, Sereni worked as a teacher and literary critic. From the mid-1950s until his death in 1983, he was literary director of the Arnoldo Mondadori Editore
publishing house. His later collections of poetry included Gli strumenti umani (1965) and Stella variabile (1981). He was a prolific translator, rendering into Italian the works of Pierre Corneille
, Paul Valéry
and William Carlos Williams
, among others. His collection of translated poems, Il musicante di Saint-Merry, was awarded the 1982 Bagutta Prize
.
Sereni's works are collected in English in The Selected Poetry and Prose of Vittorio Sereni: A Bilingual Edition (2006), translated by Marcus Perryman and Peter Robinson
.
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
, Italy's military defeat in World War II, and its postwar resurgence.
Born at Luino
Luino
Luino is a small town and comune near the border with Switzerland on the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, in the Province of Varese ....
, Sereni graduated from the University of Milan
University of Milan
The University of Milan is a higher education institution in Milan, Italy. It is one of the largest universities in Europe, with about 62,801 students, a teaching and research staff of 2,455 and a non-teaching staff of 2,200....
in 1936. In 1938, he co-founded the literary review Corrente di Vita
Corrente di Vita
Corrente di Vita Giovanile , later renamed Corrente di Vita or Corrente, was an Italian magazine founded on 1 January 1938 in Milan by artist Ernesto Treccani....
. In 1941, he published Frontiera, his first collection of poetry. He was drafted into the Italian Army during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
: captured by Allied forces in 1943, he spent the rest of the war in POW camps in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. These experiences formed the basis for his second poetry book, Diario d'Algeria.
After the war, Sereni worked as a teacher and literary critic. From the mid-1950s until his death in 1983, he was literary director of the Arnoldo Mondadori Editore
Arnoldo Mondadori Editore
Arnoldo Mondadori Editore is the biggest publishing company in Italy.-History:Founded by the 18-year-old Arnoldo Mondadori in 1907 to publish the magazine titled Luce!, it soon became an important publisher. Its headquarters are in Milan....
publishing house. His later collections of poetry included Gli strumenti umani (1965) and Stella variabile (1981). He was a prolific translator, rendering into Italian the works of Pierre Corneille
Pierre Corneille
Pierre Corneille was a French tragedian who was one of the three great seventeenth-century French dramatists, along with Molière and Racine...
, Paul Valéry
Paul Valéry
Ambroise-Paul-Toussaint-Jules Valéry was a French poet, essayist, and philosopher. His interests were sufficiently broad that he can be classified as a polymath...
and William Carlos Williams
William Carlos Williams
William Carlos Williams was an American poet closely associated with modernism and Imagism. He was also a pediatrician and general practitioner of medicine, having graduated from the University of Pennsylvania...
, among others. His collection of translated poems, Il musicante di Saint-Merry, was awarded the 1982 Bagutta Prize
Bagutta Prize
The Bagutta Prize is an Italian literary prize.It originated in Milan's Bagutta Ristorante. The writer Riccardo Bacchelli discovered the restaurant and soon he had numerous friends who would dine together and discuss books. On 11 November 1927 they decided to create a literary prize and named it...
.
Sereni's works are collected in English in The Selected Poetry and Prose of Vittorio Sereni: A Bilingual Edition (2006), translated by Marcus Perryman and Peter Robinson
Peter Robinson (poet)
Peter Robinson is a British poet born in Salford, Lancashire.-Life and career:...
.