Maraini, Dacia (1936–)
Maraini, Dacia (1936–)
Italian novelist and short-story writer. Born Nov 13, 1936, in Florence, Italy; dau. of Fosco Maraini; lived with Alberto Moravia.
Celebrated Italian writer and intellectual, has been a progressive political activist for over 40 years; writings, which often focus on feminist themes or experiences of childhood, include La vacanza (The Holiday, 1962), L'eta del malessere (The Age of Discontent, 1963), Crudeltà all'aria aperta (Cruelty in the Open, 1966), about her relationship with her father, A memoria (1967), Mio marito (1968), Lettere a Marine (1981), Il treno per Helsinki (1984), Isolina (1985), La lunga vita di Marianna Ucria (The Long Life of Marianna Ucria or The Silent Duchess, 1990), which won the Campiello Prize, Voci (1994), Un clandestino a bordo (1996), Dolce (1997) and Buio (1999), a collection of short stories which won the Strega Prize; wrote Donna in guerra (1975), widely considered a manifesto of Italian feminism; has also written novels, poetry, essays, screenplays and plays, including Il ricatto a teatro (1970), Maria Stuarda (1975), I sogni di Clitennestra (1981) and Veronica, meretrice e scrittora (1991).
See also Bruce Merry, Women in Modern Italian Literature: Four Studies Based on the Work of Grazia Deledda, Alba De Céspedes, Natalia Ginzburg & Dacia Maraini (James Cook University of North Queensland, 1990).