On 23rd June 2016, John Hooper was invited as a guest speaker to the Association for the Study of Modern Italy Postgraduate Summer School, this year hosted by the University of Bristol. John is a British journalist and award-winning author, and is currently the Italy correspondent of The Economist and a contributing editor of The Guardian and The Observer. With a fascinating career in journalism in various countries throughout Europe, John Hooper first arrived in Italy in 1994, in the midst of Tangentopoli. At the time, it seemed as though there was to be some sort of revolution, but it inevitably came to nothing. This was, however, to become the groundwork for an interest in Italian politics and society, blossoming into a successful career in journalism on all things Italian.
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The Italians came out last year and is John’s latest book. It is a work that is not limited to one genre, but an umbrella of categories ranging from human geography to cultural history. By capturing snapshots of the Italian nation, The Italians attempts to get to grips with the way that Italian society is. Hooper has even questioned the difficulty of writing a meaningful book on the Italians themselves, as Italy is comprised of a society so regional, that a particular stereotype may not adhere to two Italians of different regions – reinforcing the idea of 'campanilismo'. Where does one start to tackle a nation with innumerable dialects, 8200 police forces and over 200 hand gestures?
The undeniable quirks and stereotypes of Italian culture are what make this country one that has been tirelessly studied by Brits in the past
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