The precious volume published by Meridiani Mondadori bears the Clare Award once again in Lugano. And she does it with the usual richness of content and characters. In fact, in addition to the curator Mauro Novelli, three prestigious intellectuals will be present to present the book dedicated to the stories of Andrea Camilleri: the writers Antonio Franchini and Luca Crovi and the head of cultural activities of the Cantonal Library of Lugano, Luca Saltini.
The book presented by the Chiara Prize in Lugano
The new Meridiano Mondadori dedicated to Andrea Camilleri offers a precious cross-section to understand the caliber of the master of Italian literature, defining not only the greatness of his prose and the magic of his stylistic quality, but also - and perhaps in particular - the intellectual and ethical code that permeates all the novelist's work, offering the reader a plurality of themes and "pictures" of Italian society of the last century, of which he has often been a witness.
A fine narrator, a keen observer, and an ironic reporter of everyday life , Camilleri returns to us thanks to this important anthology, which makes us feel his great absence a little less.
With this second volume of the Meridiani, the circle closes around Italy's most loved commissioner. “This volume completes the offering of Camilleri's works in Meridiani,” says the publishing house. The choice of texts, which proceeds from the previous volume of the Stories of Montalbano, covers a period of time during which over twenty novels and several short stories dedicated to Italy's most famous commissioner were published. The intellectual and ethical posture of its author, who has always been politically committed and up to the last minute intent on bearing witness to the highest values of civilized life, has certainly contributed to the publishing success of these books, together with the television transpositions starring Zingaretti".
This volume has also been entrusted to Mauro Novelli, who offers the reader a choice of six novels as as many “variations on the detective story”, from Il giro di boa to Riccardino , and a selection of the most significant stories published in volumes or anthologies, including those that recount the first investigations of the young Montalbano.
The speakers of the event
Antonio Franchini , who already wrote the Chronology for the first volume, has reworked the author's biography, updating and revising it in light of new documents that have emerged from the Camilleri archive.
Mauro Novelli teaches contemporary Italian literature at the State University of Milan, where he coordinates the Master's in Publishing. He is the author of essays and volumes in the nineteenth century, such as Eat your heart, Milan, il Saggiatore, dedicated to Carlo Porta, e Leopardi's window, Feltrinelli, a sentimental journey through the homes of Italian writers.
He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Center for Manzonian Studies and of the Scientific Commission of the Prezzolini Archive in Lugano.
For the Meridiani Mondadori he edited the Stories of Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri and Works by Piero Chiara.
Antonio Franchini , born in Naples in 1958, made his debut in 1991 with Comrades. Four short stories about growing up , Leonardo. In 1996 he published When we write as young people , Sottotraccia. With Marsilio he published When will you kill yourself, maestro?, 1996, Water, sweat, ice , 1998, The squatter , 2001, Chronicle of the end , 2003, Lord of tears , 2010, Memoirs of a book seller , 2011. For Mondadori he published Gladiators , 2005, for Gallucci The princess, the monkey and the elephant , 2009, for NN The old fighter , 2020, with which he was a finalist for the 2021 Chiara Prize. He lives in Milan and works in publishing.
Luca Crovi , an expert in genre literature, works for Bonelli Editore. A music critic for "Italia Oggi," "Il Giornale," and "Max," he has published Noir. Instructions for Use (2013), The Champion's Shadow (2018), and The Last Song of the Naviglio (2020). He has written comic book scripts. With "Tutti i colori del giallo" (2002), which spawned the Radio2 broadcast, he won the 2005 Flaiano Prize.
Luca Saltini , head of cultural activities at the Lugano Cantonal Library, holds a degree in philosophy from the University of Milan and a doctorate in literature from the University of Geneva. He has published, as an author or editor, around fifteen volumes on historical and literary topics. With Il viaggiatore della parola (2007), he won the Cesare Angelini international literary prize. He has published the novels Tattoo, Il Demolitore di camper, and Periferie.
Here are all the events of the 2023 Chiara Award.
The image
The close-up of Andrea Camilleri at the head of this article, kindly granted, was taken in 2010, when the Maestro was awarded the Chiara Lifetime Achievement Award.
