Emilio Salgari
Emilio Salgari was an influential Italian author born in 1862 in Verona, celebrated for his adventure novels and contributions to the swashbuckler genre. Often regarded as the Italian Jules Verne, Salgari's literary career began with his first short story published at the age of twenty. He is best known for his series featuring the character Sandokan, a pirate hero, which debuted in the novel "I misteri della jungla nera" in 1895. His vivid tales are set in exotic locales and feature diverse characters, gaining him a significant readership in Italy and across Latin America, Portugal, and Spain. Despite his creative successes, Salgari faced severe personal and financial challenges later in life, which culminated in his tragic suicide in 1911. Although he is a prominent figure in certain literary circles, only a few of his works have been translated into English, limiting his recognition in the English-speaking world. Salgari's legacy endures through his captivating storytelling and the adventurous spirit embodied in his characters.
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Emilio Salgari
Writer
- Born: August 21, 1862
- Birthplace: Verona, Italy
- Died: April 25, 1911
- Place of death: Turin, Italy
Biography
Emilio Salgari, a writer of adventure swashbuckler novels and a pioneer of science fiction, is often called the Italian Jules Verne. He was born in Verona, Italy, in 1862; his mother was from Venice and his father was from Verona. Salgari attended Sarpi Royal Technical and Nautical School in Venice but did not graduate because the sea called to him. He set out to sea on a three-month-long Adriatic voyage on a ship called the Italia una but failed to become a naval officer. However, he found the experience invaluable for his career as a writer.
His first short story, “I selvaggi della Papuasia” (1882), was published in a Milan-based magazine when he was twenty years old. It was followed by the publication of the stories “La nuova arena” and “La tigre della Malesia” in Verona newspapers. His first novel, La favorita del Mahdi, was published in 1887. In 1892, he married Ida Peruzzi and moved to Turin, Italy. Six years later, he signed an exclusive contract with the publisher Donat and moved to Genoa.
In 1895, he published I misteri della jungla nera, the first in the Sandokan series about pirates; two books in this series have been translated into English, I pirati della Malesia (1896; Sandokan: The Pirates of Malaysia) and Le tigri di Mompracem (1900; Sandokan: The Tigers of Mompracem, 2003). He also published another series about pirates, the Black Corsair.
Salgari moved back to Turin in 1900 after publishing the popular novel, Le tigri di Mompracem. At this point, Salgari began to suffer from severe financial difficulties that escalated when his wife became ill. In 1906, after ending his exclusive contract with his publisher, he signed with Bemporad, another publishing house, and subsequently wrote nineteen novels between 1907 and 1911.
In 1910, after his wife’s health failed, Salgari failed in a suicide attempt, but he succeeded in taking his life on April 25, 1911, as his father had done before him in 1889. Ever the adventurer, Salgari slit his throat and stomach in the ceremonial suicide of the Japanese samurai.
Salgari is well known in Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Latin America for his stories set in exotic locations and his heroes from diverse cultural backgrounds. However, as of 2006, only three of his novels had been translated into English.