Matilde Serao facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Matilde Serao
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Photograph by Giacomo Brogi (before 1909)
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| Born | 7 March 1856 |
| Died | 25 July 1927 (aged 71) |
| Spouse(s) | Edoardo Scarfoglio |
Matilde Serao (born March 7, 1856 – died July 25, 1927) was an Italian journalist and novelist. A journalist writes for newspapers or magazines, and a novelist writes books called novels. Matilde Serao was very important because she was the first woman ever asked to be the editor of an Italian newspaper. She edited Il Corriere di Roma and later Il Giorno. She also helped start and edit another newspaper called Il Mattino. Matilde Serao wrote many novels, but even though she was nominated six times, she never won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Contents
Life Story of Matilde Serao
Matilde Serao was born in a city called Patras in Greece. Her father, Francesco Serao, was Italian, and her mother, Paolina Borely, was Greek. Her father was a journalist from Naples, Italy. He had moved to Greece because of political reasons, meaning he had different ideas about how the government should be run.
Early Life and First Writings
In 1860, when Matilde was four years old, her family moved back to Italy. They lived in Carinola for a short time before settling in Naples. Matilde grew up without much money. She worked as a schoolteacher, which means she taught children in a school. She later wrote about this experience in a book of short stories called Leggende Napolitane (Neapolitan Legends), published in 1881.
Matilde became well-known after her short stories were published in a newspaper called Il Piccolo. Her first novel, Fantasia (Fantasy), came out in 1883. This book showed that she could write with deep feelings and understand people very well.
Writing in Rome
Between 1880 and 1886, Matilde lived in Rome. During this time, she wrote five more books of short stories and novels. These books were all about the everyday problems and lives of ordinary people. She was very good at noticing small details and understanding what people were thinking and feeling. Some of these books include Cuore infermo (1881), Fior di passione (1883), and La conquista di Roma (1885).
Starting Newspapers
Matilde Serao and her husband, Edoardo Scarfoglio, started a newspaper called Il Corriere di Roma. They wanted it to be like the newspapers in Paris, France. However, this newspaper did not last very long. After it closed, Matilde moved back to Naples and became the editor of Il Corriere di Napoli.
In 1892, she and her husband started Il Mattino. This newspaper became the most important and most read daily paper in southern Italy. In 1904, Matilde started her own newspaper, "Il Giorno," and she ran it until she passed away.
Even though she was very busy with her newspaper work, Matilde kept writing many books. Between 1890 and 1902, she wrote novels like Il paese di cuccagna and Il ventre di Napoli. In these books, she showed the true spirit of the people with great understanding and kindness. Many of her books were translated into English.
Later Life and Views
Matilde Serao signed the 1925 Manifesto of the Anti-Fascist Intellectuals. This means she was part of a group of smart people who spoke out against a political movement called Fascism. She passed away in Naples in 1927.
Books Translated into English
Here are some of Matilde Serao's books that you can read in English:
- Fantasy (1890)
- Farewell Love (1890)
- The Ballet Dancer and On Guard (1901)
- In the Country of Jesus (1901)
- The Land of Cockayne (1901)
- The Conquest of Rome (1902)
- After the Pardon (1909)
- The Desire of Life (1911)
- Souls Divided (1919)
- The Severed Hand (1925)
- The Harvest (1928)
- Heart Conditions (2018)
See also
In Spanish: Matilde Serao para niños
