Famous 20th Century Italian Writers

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 1 
Umberto Eco
(Medievalist, Philosopher and Author of 'The Name of the Rose' and 'Foucault's Pendulum')
Umberto Eco
5
Birthdate: January 5, 1932
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Alessandria, Italy
Died: February 19, 2016

Italian novelist Umberto Eco is best remembered for his novels The Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum. He also taught at the University of Bologna and had released quite a few children’s books and translations. He was also known for his work on semiotics and medieval studies.

 2 
Luigi Pirandello
(Italian Playwright and Novelist & Winner of 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Luigi Pirandello
3
Birthdate: June 28, 1867
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Agrigento, Italy
Died: December 10, 1936

Luigi Pirandello was an Italian novelist, short story writer, poet, and dramatist. Best remembered for his plays, Pirandello was honored with the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934. An Italian nationalist, Pirandello supported Fascism; he asked the Fascist government to melt down his Nobel Prize medal for the Abyssinia Campaign.

 3 
Pier Paolo Pasolini
(Italian Filmmaker Known for His Radical Methods, Overtly Political and Often Scandalous Content)
Pier Paolo Pasolini
4
Birthdate: March 5, 1922
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Bologna, Italy
Died: November 2, 1975

Noted film director and actor Pier Paolo Pasolini had already gained fame as a poet and author before stepping into the entertainment industry. The openly gay filmmaker was known for his usage of non-professional actors and themes of sexuality. His brutal murder remains to be a controversial topic.

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 4 
Dario Fo
(Winner of 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Dario Fo
3
Birthdate: March 24, 1926
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Sangiano, Italy
Died: October 13, 2016

Nobel Prize-winning Italian playwright Dario Fo, best remembered for the play Mistero Buffo, donned many hats and made his presence felt as an actor, stage director and designer, and painter. He and his wife, actor Franca Rame, did everything from writing sketches for the show Canzonissima to founding theater companies.

 5 
Roberto Rossellini
(Film director, Actor, Film producer, Playwright, Screenwriter, Racecar driver)
Roberto Rossellini
7
Birthdate: May 8, 1906
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Rome
Died: June 3, 1977

One of the pioneers of neo-realism, Italian filmmaker Roberto Rossellini was part of the French nouvelle vague movement. Born to the man who had set up Italy’s first cinema, Rossellini later grew up to make films such as Rome, Open City. He was also known for his scandalous affair with Ingrid Bergman.

 6 
Antonio Carluccio
(Chef)
Antonio Carluccio
3
Birthdate: April 19, 1937
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Vietri sul Mare, Salerno, Campania, Italy
Died: November 18, 2017
 7 
Giorgio de Chirico
(Italian Painter and Founder of the ‘Scuola Metafisica’ Art Movement)
Giorgio de Chirico
3
Birthdate: July 10, 1888
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Volos, Greece
Died: November 20, 1978

Italian artist Giorgio de Chirico, the founder of the scuola metafisica art movement, showed marked influence of his childhood spent in Greece in his work. His metaphysical paintings showcased empty cityscapes, mannequins, trains, and towers. His notable works include The Child's Brain and The Enigma of an Autumn Afternoon.

 8 
Gabriele D'Annunzio
(Former Member of Italian Chamber of Deputies (1897-1900))
Gabriele D'Annunzio
3
Birthdate: March 12, 1863
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Pescara, Italy
Died: March 1, 1938

Known for literary works like Il Piacere and La Gioconda, Italian journalist, poet and playwright Gabriele D'Annunzio dominated the second period of Italian Decadentism. He became a national war hero during the First World War. His political endeavours include establishing and leading the short-lived Italian Regency of Carnaro in Fiume. He is often described as the forerunner of Italian fascism.  

 9 
Italo Calvino
(The Most Translated Contemporary Italian Writer at the Time of His Death)
Italo Calvino
3
Birthdate: October 15, 1923
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Santiago de Las Vegas, Havana, Cuba
Died: September 19, 1985

Italian journalist, short-story writer and novelist Italo Calvino, counted among noted Italian fiction writers in the 20th-century, emerged as the most translated contemporary Italian writer at the time of his demise. Notable works of Calvino include novels Invisible Cities and If on a winter's night a traveler; the collection of 12 short stories titled Cosmicomics, and the Our Ancestors trilogy.

 10 
Elena Ferrante
(Novelist)
Elena Ferrante
5
Birthdate: April 5, 1943
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Naples, Italy

Elena Ferrante is an Italian novelist whose works have been translated into several languages. Ferrante is best known for her Neapolitan Novels book series. In 2016, Ferrante was named among the 100 most influential people list published by Time magazine. In 2016, her book The Story of the Lost Child was also shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker International Prize.

 11 
Veronica De Laurentiis
(Author)
Veronica De Laurentiis
3
Birthdate: January 13, 1950
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Rome, Italy
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 12 
Julius Evola
(Philosopher)
Julius Evola
6
Birthdate: May 19, 1898
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Rome, Italy
Died: June 11, 1974

Julius Evola was an Italian poet, philosopher, painter, esotericist, antisemitic conspiracy theorist, and occultist. Evola is extremely popular in fringe circles due to his supernatural, magical, and metaphysical beliefs. Due to his traditionalist views on gender, which advocated a purely patriarchal society, Evola is regarded as one of Italy’s most influential fascist racists of all time.

 13 
Filippo Tommaso Marinetti
(Italian Poet, Founder of the 'Futurist Movement' and Author of the First 'Futurist Manifesto')
Filippo Tommaso Marinetti
3
Birthdate: December 22, 1876
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Alexandria, Egypt
Died: December 2, 1944

Filippo Tommaso Marinetti was an Italian poet, art theorist, and editor. He is credited with founding the Futurist movement and is remembered for his work Manifesto of Futurism. In 1918, he founded a political party called Futurist Political Party as an extension of the social and futurist artistic movement. The party merged with the Italian Fasces of Combat in 1919.

 14 
Andrea Camilleri
(Italian Writer Best Known as the Writer of the Popular 'Inspector Montalbano' Series of Crime Novels)
Andrea Camilleri
3
Birthdate: September 6, 1925
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Porto Empedocle, Italy
Died: July 17, 2019

Andrea Camilleri was an Italian writer whose book The Potter's Field was honored with the CWA International Dagger award in 2012. Over the course of his career, Camilleri also won other prestigious awards, such as the Nino Martoglio International Book Award.

 15 
Vasco Rossi
(Singer-songwriter)
Vasco Rossi
3
Birthdate: February 7, 1952
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Zocca, Italy
 16 
Massimo Bottura
(Restaurateur)
Massimo Bottura
1
Birthdate: September 30, 1962
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Modena, Italy
 17 
Mario Bava
(Film director, Screenwriter, Cinematographer, Writer, Responsible for special effects)
Mario Bava
3
Birthdate: July 31, 1914
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Sanremo
Died: April 25, 1980
 18 
Giulio Andreotti
(Writer, Journalist, Politician, Diplomat, Reporter)
Giulio Andreotti
3
Birthdate: January 14, 1919
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Rome
Died: May 6, 2013

Giulio Andreotti was an Italian politician who served as the prime minister of Italy on three occasions between 1972 and 1992. Widely regarded as the most important and powerful politician of the First Republic, Andreotti was the second longest-serving Italian prime minister after Silvio Berlusconi in the post-war era. Giulio Andreotti also served in several ministerial positions throughout his career.

 19 
John Fante
(Novelist, Short story writer)
John Fante
3
Birthdate: April 8, 1909
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Denver, Colorado, United States
Died: May 8, 1983
 20 
Alberto Moravia
(Italian Novelist and Journalist Known for His Novels" ‘Gli indifferenti’, 'Il Conformista' and 'Il disprezzo’)
Alberto Moravia
3
Birthdate: November 28, 1907
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Rome, Italy
Died: September 26, 1990

Alberto Moravia was an Italian journalist and novelist best remembered for exploring themes like existentialism, social alienation, and sexuality. His anti-fascist novel The Conformist inspired the 1970 political drama film of the same name. Moravia's works have also inspired other films, such as Agostino, Contempt, The Empty Canvas, and Two Women.

 21 
Milo Manara
(Cartoonist, Illustrator, Writer, Artist)
Milo Manara
3
Birthdate: September 12, 1945
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Lüsen

Milo Manara is an Italian comic book writer and artist best known for his erotic comics and illustrations. He studied architecture and painting, following which he made his debut as a comic illustrator. His works have appeared in several magazines, including Charlie Mensuel, Pilote, and Terror. He has also drawn low print variant covers for issues of Marvel comic books. 

 22 
Cesare Pavese
(A Very Influential Italian Novelist, Poet and Short story writer)
Cesare Pavese
3
Birthdate: September 9, 1908
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Santo Stefano Belbo, Italy
Died: August 27, 1950

Italian author Cesare Pavese is remembered for his themes of gloom and loneliness and for his protagonists who were often loners. His prolonged fight with fascists and the failure of his affair with actor Constance Dowling led him to commit suicide by consuming sleeping pills in a Turin hotel.

 23 
Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy
(Writer)
Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy
3
Birthdate: February 24, 1940
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Naples, Italy
 24 
Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark
(Author)
Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark
3
Birthdate: January 7, 1939
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Rome, Italy
 25 
Freya Stark
(British-Italian Explorer and Travel Writer)
Freya Stark
5
Birthdate: January 31, 1893
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: May 9, 1993

Freya Stark was an Anglo-Italian travel writer and explorer. One of the first non-Arabs to explore the southern Arabian Desert, Stark penned down over 24 books on her travels in Afghanistan and the Middle East. She also wrote many essays and autobiographical works. In 1968, Freya Stark embarked on her last expedition to Afghanistan at the age of 75.

 26 
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
(Italian Writer and the Last Prince of Lampedusa)
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
3
Birthdate: December 23, 1896
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Palermo, Italy
Died: July 23, 1957

Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa was an Italian writer best remembered as the last Prince of Lampedusa. Tomasi is quite popular for his novel The Leopard which was published posthumously in 1958. His life and career inspired a docufilm titled Die Geburt des Leoparden which was directed by Luigi Falorni and screened at the 14th Rome Film Festival.

 27 
Enrico Letta
(Politician, Academic, Non-fiction writer)
Enrico Letta
3
Birthdate: August 20, 1966
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Pisa

Former prime minister of Italy, Enrico Letta was the son of a math professor and followed in his father’s footsteps to become a professor, too, teaching at universities such as HEC Paris. Later, he stepped into politics with the Christian Democracy party. He also has a doctorate degree in European Union Law.

 28 
Rafael Sabatini
(Writer)
Rafael Sabatini
3
Birthdate: April 29, 1875
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Iesi, Italy
Died: February 13, 1950

Rafael Sabatini was an Italian-English author who wrote romance and adventure novels. Sabatini is best remembered for his bestselling novels like The Sea Hawk, Captain Blood: His Odyssey, and Bellarion the Fortunate. Overall, Rafael Sabatini wrote 34 novels, six non-fiction books, eight short story collections, and several uncollected short stories.

 29 
Marcella Hazan
(Writer, Biologist)
Marcella Hazan
3
Birthdate: April 15, 1924
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Cesenatico, Italy
Died: September 29, 2013
 30 
Natalia Ginzburg
(Auhtor Known for His Works 'Family Sayings' and 'The Advertisement')
Natalia Ginzburg
3
Birthdate: July 14, 1916
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Palermo, Italy
Died: October 7, 1991

Natalia Ginzburg was an Italian author who dealt with sensitive subjects like politics and family relationships during the Second World War. Ginzburg's works were often translated into English for readers in the USA and the UK. Over the course of her illustrious career, Natalia Ginzburg won several prestigious awards, such as the Bagutta Prize and Strega Prize.

 31 
Totò
(Comedian)
Totò
4
Birthdate: February 15, 1898
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Rione Sanità, Naples, Italy
Died: April 15, 1967
 32 
Alain Elkann
(Italian Novelist and Journalist)
Alain Elkann
3
Birthdate: March 23, 1950
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States

Alain Elkann is an Italian journalist and novelist. He is known for his role as the conductor of cultural programs aired on Italian TV. Elkann is also known for his work which promotes a cordial relation between Americans and Italians. He is the president of the Italy-USA Foundation's Scientific Committee. In 2010, he received the America Award for his work.

 33 
Kuki Gallmann
(Writer)
Kuki Gallmann
3
Birthdate: June 1, 1943
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Treviso, Italy Treviso, Kingdom of Italy Italy

Born to Italian writer Cino Boccazzi, Kuki Gallmann later moved to Kenya with her husband and son, both of whom she lost in separate accidents. Taking up Kenyan citizenship, she focused on ecological conservation. He bestselling book I Dreamed Of Africa was later made into a movie.

 34 
Anita Raja
(Translator, Writer)
Anita Raja
0
Birthdate: 1953 AD
Birthplace: Naples, Italy
 35 
Italo Svevo
(Best Known for His Classic Modernist Novel 'La Coscienza Di Zeno')
Italo Svevo
3
Birthdate: December 19, 1861
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Trieste, Italy
Died: September 13, 1928

Italo Svevo was an Italian writer, playwright, novelist, short story writer, and businessman. Svevo was regarded as a pioneer of psychological fiction. He is remembered for his work La coscienza di Zeno, which is considered his magnum opus. Svevo is widely regarded as an important writer of the 20th century whose works had an influence on later generations of writers.

 36 
Laura Huxley
(Motivational speaker, Writer, Violinist, Biographer)
Laura Huxley
3
Birthdate: November 2, 1911
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Turin
Died: December 13, 2007
 37 
Guido Calabresi
(Judge, University teacher, Dean, Writer)
Guido Calabresi
3
Birthdate: October 18, 1932
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Milan

Yale Law School professor Guido Calabresi currently serves as the United States Circuit Judge. As a legal scholar, he is considered a pioneer of law and economics. He has around 50 honorary degrees from institutes across the globe and has penned books such as The Costs of Accidents.

 38 
Jeanne Modigliani
(Historian)
Jeanne Modigliani
2
Birthdate: November 29, 1918
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Nice, France
Died: July 27, 1984

Jeanne Modigliani was an Italian-French Jewish art historian. She was the daughter of artists Amedeo Modigliani and Jeanne Hébuterne. She lost both her parents as a small child and was adopted by her aunt. She conducted extensive biographical research on her father years after his death and published the book Modigliani: Man and Myth.   

 39 
Curzio Malaparte
(Italian Writer, Filmmaker and Diplomat Known for His War-Related Books 'Kaputt' and 'La pelle')
Curzio Malaparte
3
Birthdate: June 9, 1898
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Prato, Italy
Died: July 19, 1957

Curzio Malaparte was an Italian writer, diplomat, war correspondent, and filmmaker. Many of his works, such as La pelle were adapted into films. In 1926, he co-founded an Italian magazine called 900, which played a major role in the rise of Italian fascism. Curzio Malaparte also served as a co-editor and editor of Fiera Letteraria and La Stampa respectively.

 40 
Hugo Pratt
(Novelist, Writer, Painter, Screenwriter)
Hugo Pratt
2
Birthdate: June 15, 1927
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Rimini
Died: August 20, 1995
 41 
Carlo Ginzburg
(Italian Historian and Writer)
Carlo Ginzburg
3
Birthdate: April 15, 1939
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Turin, Italy

A microhistory expert, Italian historian Carlo Ginzburg has had teaching stints at the University of Bologna and UCLA. He is best known for his work The Cheese and the Worms and holds 16 honorary degrees from various universities. He also won the Balzan Prize for the History of Europe in 2010.

 42 
Sergio Castellitto
(Actor, Director)
Sergio Castellitto
3
Birthdate: August 18, 1953
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Rome, Italy
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 43 
Grazia Deledda
(Italian Author and Winner of 1926 Nobel Prize for Literature)
Grazia Deledda
2
Birthdate: September 27, 1871
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Nuoro, Italy
Died: August 15, 1936

Grazia Deledda was an Italian writer who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1926, becoming the first Italian woman to receive the prize. Interested in writing from a young age, she became a writer despite her family’s objections. Today, her work is highly regarded across the world, and generations of writers continue to be inspired by her.  

 44 
Giacomo Balla
(Painter)
Giacomo Balla
3
Birthdate: July 18, 1871
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Turin, Italy
Died: March 1, 1958
 45 
Renata Adler
(American Author, Journalist, and Film Critic )
Renata Adler
2
Birthdate: October 19, 1938
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Milan, Italy

Renata Adler is an author, journalist, and film critic who has been a staff writer-reporter for The New Yorker. She studied comparative literature at Harvard University and later received a J.D. from Yale Law School. Despite not being much knowledgeable about films, she became a film critic for The New York Times. She has also written many books. 

 46 
Alessandro Baricco
(Italian Novelist, Essayist and Short Story Writer)
Alessandro Baricco
2
Birthdate: January 25, 1958
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Turin, Italy

Alessandro Baricco is an Italian writer and director. He is also an occasional performer. He is considered one of Italy's most versatile contemporary writers. He studied philosophy and piano and has worked as a music critic. He is also a playwright and essayist. He is a co-founder of the Holden School of Contemporary Humanities. 

 47 
Altiero Spinelli
(Politician)
Altiero Spinelli
2
Birthdate: August 31, 1907
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Rome, Italy
Died: May 23, 1986

Known as one of the EU’s founding fathers, Italian politician Altiero Spinelli was a communist who had spent 16 years in confinement for opposing fascist powers. While in prison, he co-wrote the Ventotene Manifesto. He later represented Central Italy in the European Parliament and was part of the Italian Chamber of Deputies.

 48 
Gianni Rodari
(Italian Writer and Journalist, Famous for His Works of Children’s Literature ‘Il Romanzo Di Cipollino')
Gianni Rodari
2
Birthdate: October 23, 1920
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Omegna, Italy
Died: April 14, 1980

Gianni Rodari was an Italian writer best known for his works of children's literature, notably Il romanzo di Cipollino. He is counted among Italy's most important 20th-century children's authors. As a young man, he participated in the Italian resistance movement and worked as a journalist. He began writing books for children in the 1940s. 

 49 
Giuseppe Ungaretti
(Italian Modernist Poet, Academic & Author)
Giuseppe Ungaretti
2
Birthdate: February 8, 1888
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Alexandria, Egypt
Died: June 2, 1970

Giuseppe Ungaretti was an Italian poet, essayist, journalist, academic, and critic. One of the most important contributors to Italian literature during the 20th century, Ungaretti was honored with the first Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 1970. He is credited with popularizing hermetic poetry, a form of difficult and obscure poetry.

 50 
Leo Lionni
(Author)
Leo Lionni
2
Birthdate: May 5, 1910
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Died: October 11, 1999