International Cultural Association “Laudomia Bonanni”
" Who is Laudomia"
Voice of the oppressed, of the marginalized; evocator of rejected or unknown
microcosms; unbeaten weaver of destinies and cantos of wartime inspired
by peace; and, always, voice of salvation and hope, the Italian writer
Laudomia Bonanni was born in L’Aquila (wich means
The Eagle) on December 8, 1907. For many years she was an elementary school
teacher in isolated mountain villages, face to face whit the desperation
of poorest people. She came out in 1948 winning as an outsider with Il
fosso (The Trench) a contest for unpublished authors organized in Rome
by the most important literary circle.The life of the rural sub-proletariat
had never described with such realism and intense participation. The «terrible
sharpness of the Author’s gaze», her civic commitment and
her refined prose gained the admiration of the critics. The book, published
in 1950, also won the historical Premio Bagutta, which had never before
been awarded to a woman. In following years Laudomia alternated the dramas
of the misery of peasants and shepherds with those of the decay of the
lower middle-class, told with a pitiless analysis of the traditional family:
Palma e sorelle (Palma and Sisters, 1954) earned the
Soroptimist International Award; L’imputata (The
Accused, 1960) won the fundamental Premio Viareggio; L’adultera
(The Adulteress, 1964) won the Premio Campiello. These
last works were translated in various languages. Other titles include:
Vietato ai minori (Forbidden to Minor, 1974), Città
del tabacco (Tobacco City, 1977), Il bambino di pietra
(The Calcified Baby, 1979), Le droghe (The Drugs, 1982).
La rappresaglia (The Reprisal) came out posthumously
in 2003. Laudomia Bonanni led a reserved and shy existence. Her voluntary
abandonment of writing, her self-exile into a proud solitude and the failed
reprinting of her books came together to cause the fading of the memory
of her. She died in Rome, forgotten, on 21 February 2002 and has only
recently rediscovered as one of the highest interpreters of the Italian
and European 20th century.
«BOOK
IS A STONE FLINGED TO HIT»
(Excerpts from interviews)
«I always
told: book is a stone flinged to hit. I don’t change my opinion,
but now I think also: writing is not enough today, we must operate».
«Don’t
you see? The writer, in these days, first has to promote himself: he has
to take trouble. Authors, publishers and reviewers once considered very
serious, now don’t are ashamed of guarantee dreary by-products —
while they ignore the best works».
«I never seen a world as cruel as today; I never seen, consequently, a literary society so degenerate. The dishonesty of present literary society is dreadful. Probably it’s a sort of natural process».
«Highbrows carry matters to extreme just because they are too intelligent.
For instance, if the backbiting of an ordinary man is only wicked, the
same of an intelligent person, who is very influential among the people,
is corrupting».
«That’s
why I long since avoid competing in literary contests: because everybody
knows in advance the prize-winner. I won my prizes when to get them was
still significant».
The International Cultural Association
LAUDOMIA BONANNI
www.laudomiabonanni.net
assobonanni@tiscali.it
was established on 6 September 2005:
to restore Laudomia,
long and unjustly forgotten, to the head of Italian and European literature;
to translate her books in every language;
to diffuse her prophetic thought and ideals,
WICH
INVOLVE:
vindicating women’s freedom (and men’s too) against any residual
patriarchy;
repelling any form of warmongering;
repelling any form of racism;
assisting imprisoned minor
and fighting all exploitation of children
in work, war, sex.
The Association organize meetings lectures press campaignes and benefit
performances
E-mail: assobonanni@tiscali.it
Mail box: 12290 - 00135 Rome Belsito, Italy
