Elio Vittorini is one of the most significant Italian intellectuals of the last century as his fiction and his writings are fundamental to understanding how Italian literature developed after World War II. Vittorini’s experience as a novelist, translator, literary critic, and editor crosses major historical events that took place in Italy during his lifetime. Besides being the author of Conversazione in Sicilia [Conversation in Sicily] (1938), considered one of the masterpieces of pre-World War II literature, he became the editor of major publishing houses such as Bompiani and Mondadori, promoting many young and talented writers like Beppe Fenoglio and Italo Calvino.

Vittorini was born in Siracusa, Sicily, in …

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Citation: Mazzola, Claudio. "Elio Vittorini". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 October 2020 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=14626, accessed 29 March 2024.]

14626 Elio Vittorini 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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