Edoardo Sanguineti
Edoardo Sanguineti was a prominent Italian poet, novelist, literary critic, and political figure, born in Genoa in 1930. He spent much of his early life in Turin and later returned to Genoa, where he became a significant presence in Italian literature. Sanguineti graduated from the University of Turin in 1956, where he later served as a lecturer, emphasizing his deep engagement with Italian literature. His debut work, "Laborintus," marked a departure from traditional poetic forms, showcasing his innovative use of language and structure.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, he produced several notable novels that aligned with the Italian Neoavanguardia movement, influenced by his involvement with Gruppo 63. Sanguineti was also active in the political sphere, serving as a senator for the Italian Communist Party and as a town councilor in Genoa. His literary contributions continued throughout his life, including collaborations with composers and visual artists, and he remained a vital figure in Italian poetry until his later years. Sanguineti's multifaceted career and enduring influence cement his status as one of the key literary figures of the twentieth century in Italy.
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Edoardo Sanguineti
Writer
- Born: December 9, 1930
- Birthplace: Genoa, Italy
- Died: May 18, 2010
- Place of death: Genoa, Italy
Biography
Edoardo Sanguineti was the child of Giovanni and Giuuseppina Cocchi Sanguineti, who lived in Genoa, Italy, when he was born. The family then moved to Turin, where he spent most of his early years. He married Luciana Garabello in 1954 while he was a student at the University of Turin; the couple had three sons and one daughter. For Sanguineti, his marriage and his family are the important events in his life.
After writing his thesis on Dante, Sanguineti graduated in 1956, but he stayed at the university, where he served as a lecturer in Italian literature. Laborintus (labyrinth), his first book, replete with sentence fragments, quotations from other languages, neologisms, and scientific terms, is both a departure from earlier poetic models and an attempt to subvert and to demythologize possible truths.
Although Sanguineti published some other books of verse, he turned to literary criticism, fiction, and translation during the late 1960’s and the early 1970’s while he was teaching at the University of Salerno. The three novels written during this period were especially important examples of the Italian Neoavanguardia (avant-garde) movement and reflected the influence of Gruppo 63, a group of fellow writers with similar interests. His script for Luca Ronconi’s stage adaptation of Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando furioso (1532) provided further evidence of his versatility, as did his translations of plays by Greek and Roman playwrights Euripides, Seneca, and Sophocles, as well as the poetry of Irish writer James Joyce. In 1974, he left Salerno and returned to his birthplace to assume the post of chair of the department of Italian literature at the University of Genoa.
In addition to his literary endeavors, Sanguineti has been active politically. His articles have appeared in such newspapers as Paese Sera and Giorno and in such magazines as Espresso. Representing the Italian Communist Party, he was also elected as a senator in the Italian parliament in 1979. He also served as a town councilor in Genoa from 1976 to 1981 and as a member of the chamber of deputies from 1979 to 1983.
Since 1980, Sanguineti has continued to publish volumes of poetry, and his poems have been widely anthologized. In addition, he has worked with Luciano Berio and Globokar Vinko on opera libretti. He has also collaborated with painter Enrico Bij. In 1997, he published Corollario, another collection of poems. Because of his literary longevity, his versatility, and his willingness to collaborate with artists in other fields, he is one of the most important Italian literary figures of the twentieth century.