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# 69 •OCTOBER 5 , 2015
critics, Pulitzer Prizes (as
Jhumpa Lahiri) and other
cultural figures. In Italy,
with a similar structure, the
10 books of American writers are judged by a jury
composed of Italian professors of American Literature, experts, journalists,
writers, and translators.
The books in competition
are published in their respective countries during
the year preceding the
award. The prize consists of a monetary award
to the winners and, more
interesting, covers the costs of the translation in the
other language. The translation itself is the great
part of the project. In our
view it will facilitate the
dissemination of Italian
books abroad and could
encourage the publishing
market to invest in the opposite country. By covering the translation, which
is one of the major expenses for publishing houses,
we would stimulate the
interest in who aspires to
publish into a foreign market.
I would like to mention
Italo Calvino, Primo Levi
and also Oriana Fallaci.
Among the living writers, I
think of certainly Umberto
Eco. There are others who
have become very popular in America in these
recent years, such as Melania Mazzucco, Roberto
Saviano, Beppe Severgnini or the mysterious Elena
Ferrante.
Who are the Italian writers
better appreciated by the
American public in the
last decades?
Elena Ferrante in particular has been able to achieve considerable remarks
in the US. Her books translated by Ann Goldstein
Among the Italian authors of Europa Editions, have
well known in America created a real “literary sucduring the second ' 900 cess” especially after the
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