Elio Vittorini facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elio Vittorini
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| Born | 23 July 1908 Syracuse, Sicily, Italy |
| Died | 12 February 1966 (aged 57) Milan, Italy |
| Occupation | Writer, novelist |
Elio Vittorini (born July 23, 1908 – died February 12, 1966) was an important Italian writer and novelist. He lived at the same time as another famous writer, Cesare Pavese. Vittorini was a key voice in the modernist style of writing novels.
His most famous book is Conversations in Sicily. This novel spoke out against fascism, a type of strict government. Because of this, he was put in jail when the book was published in 1941. The first American version of the book came out in 1949. It even had an introduction written by Ernest Hemingway, a famous American writer. Hemingway's writing style influenced Vittorini a lot, especially in this novel.
Early Life and Writing
Elio Vittorini was born in Syracuse, Sicily. As a child, he moved around Sicily often because his father worked on the railroad. He ran away from home several times. Finally, in 1924, he left Sicily for good.
For a short time, he worked as a construction worker. Then, he moved to Florence. There, he found a job as a type corrector. This meant he would check and fix mistakes in printed texts. He stopped this work in 1934 because he got sick from lead poisoning.
Around 1927, his stories started to appear in literary magazines. Many of his novels and short stories from this time, like The Red Carnation, were not fully published until after World War II. This was because of strict government rules and censorship.
Speaking Out Against Fascism
Vittorini was not afraid to share his opinions. In 1937, he was removed from the National Fascist Party. This happened because he wrote in support of the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War.
In 1939, he moved again, this time to Milan. He put together a collection of American literature. But again, this book was delayed due to censorship. Vittorini continued to speak out against the government led by Benito Mussolini. In 1942, he was arrested and put in jail.
He later joined the Italian Communist Party. He also became active in the Italian Resistance, a group that fought against the fascist government. His experiences during this time inspired his 1945 novel, Men and not Men. In 1945, he also briefly worked as an editor for an Italian newspaper called L'Unita and a weekly magazine called Il Politecnico .
Later Years and Legacy
After World War II, Vittorini mainly focused on his work as an editor. He helped publish books by many talented young Italian writers, including Calvino and Fenoglio. His last major fiction book published during his life was Erica and her Sisters in 1956.
The news of the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 deeply affected his beliefs. This event made him largely stop writing new novels. He left some of his work unfinished, which was published after his death. For the rest of his life, Vittorini continued to work as an editor.
In 1959, he started a cultural magazine called Il Menabò with Calvino. This magazine focused on how literature fit into the modern industrial world. He also ran as a candidate for the Italian Socialist Party. Elio Vittorini passed away in Milan in 1966.
See also
In Spanish: Elio Vittorini para niños
