Contemporary Italian Literature
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide a thorough training in contemporary Italian literature from critical and methodological as well as historical and cultural points of view. A reconstruction of the XX century Italian literary system will be therefore proposed, aware of the changes in relationships between authors, genres, movements, editorial mediation and public, accompanied by monographic insights, functional to the improvement of critical analysis and to the interpretation of single works.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge: 1) Dynamics of the Italian literary system from the XX century to the present day: movements, poetics, personalities and key works, articulation by genres and styles, relationship with publishing and cultural institutions. 2) Understanding of the basic elements to set up an analysis of contemporary Italian literary texts (narrative structures & stylistic, rhetorical, metrical strategies).
Skills: 1) Ability to identify the specific expressive textual features and recognize authorial choices and modalities of the pact with the reader. 2) Ability to place chronology, historical contextualization and genre attribution of the texts. 3) Ability to examine critical texts, understanding their structure, concepts, arguments. 4) Ability to identify and control documentary sources and bibliographic tools in the context of contemporary Italian literature.
Skills: 1) Ability to identify the specific expressive textual features and recognize authorial choices and modalities of the pact with the reader. 2) Ability to place chronology, historical contextualization and genre attribution of the texts. 3) Ability to examine critical texts, understanding their structure, concepts, arguments. 4) Ability to identify and control documentary sources and bibliographic tools in the context of contemporary Italian literature.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
The institutional section (Unit 1) offers a reconstruction of the literary system of united Italy, paying attention to the evolving relationships between authors, genres, movements, editorial mediation and audiences.
Unit 2 focuses on poetry, analyzing the fervid landscape of early 20th century Italy.
Unit 3 turns to fiction, considering two novels that offer an original interpretation of a stereotype: Sicilian 'gallismo'.
Students interested in acquiring 6 cfu will prepare part 1 and optionally part 2 or 3; students interested in acquiring 9 cfu will prepare the full program.
The course will be in Italian.
Unit 2 focuses on poetry, analyzing the fervid landscape of early 20th century Italy.
Unit 3 turns to fiction, considering two novels that offer an original interpretation of a stereotype: Sicilian 'gallismo'.
Students interested in acquiring 6 cfu will prepare part 1 and optionally part 2 or 3; students interested in acquiring 9 cfu will prepare the full program.
The course will be in Italian.
Prerequisites for admission
Students should have: - an essential knowledge of Italian history, culture and literature since Unification; - a mastery of basic tools for the analysis of the literary text and the reading of critical essays; - a good command of written and spoken Italian language.
Teaching methods
Teaching takes place through lectures, supported by the vision of images and videos.
Teaching Resources
Unit 1. "The Literary System in United Italy"
Texts: V. Spinazzola, L'egemonia del romanzo, il Saggiatore, 2007, pp. 7-69; F. Brioschi, C. Di Girolamo, M. Fusillo, Modi della poesia, in Introduction to literature, Carocci, 2003, pp. 81-134.
Unit 2. "Italian Poetry of the Early Twentieth Century"
Texts: C. Segre - C. Ossola (eds.), Anthology of Italian Poetry. Novecento, volume 1, Turin, Einaudi (texts by Gozzano, Corazzini, Marinetti, Palazzeschi, Jahier, Rebora, Campana, Ungaretti, Saba)
Critical studies: Of the Segre-Ossola anthology should be prepared the introductions to the authors listed above; in addition A. Berardinelli, Quando nascono i poeti moderni in Italia, in Id., La poesia verso la prosa, Turin, Bollati Boringhieri, pp. 88-110.
Unit 3. "Between satire and anguish. The torments of Sicilian gallismo"
Texts: V. Brancati, Don Giovanni in Sicily, Milan, Feltrinelli; A. Camilleri, The Hunting Season, Palermo, Sellerio.
Critical studies: M. Novelli, La storia degli sguardi, in V. Brancati, Don Giovanni in Sicilia, ed. cit., pp. 165-178; L. Matt, Lettura stilistica della "Stagione della caccia," Quaderni camilleriani, 15, 2021, pp. 91-107. Also note that Camillerian glossaries are available at vigata.org and camillerindex.it.
Non-attending students
In addition to the above texts, non-attending students should prepare the volume by A. Casadei, Il Novecento, Il Mulino, Bologna. The volume is also recommended for attending students who feel the need to acquire a more solid historical and cultural framework within contemporary Italian literature.
Part of the Bibliography will be uploaded on Ariel.
Texts: V. Spinazzola, L'egemonia del romanzo, il Saggiatore, 2007, pp. 7-69; F. Brioschi, C. Di Girolamo, M. Fusillo, Modi della poesia, in Introduction to literature, Carocci, 2003, pp. 81-134.
Unit 2. "Italian Poetry of the Early Twentieth Century"
Texts: C. Segre - C. Ossola (eds.), Anthology of Italian Poetry. Novecento, volume 1, Turin, Einaudi (texts by Gozzano, Corazzini, Marinetti, Palazzeschi, Jahier, Rebora, Campana, Ungaretti, Saba)
Critical studies: Of the Segre-Ossola anthology should be prepared the introductions to the authors listed above; in addition A. Berardinelli, Quando nascono i poeti moderni in Italia, in Id., La poesia verso la prosa, Turin, Bollati Boringhieri, pp. 88-110.
Unit 3. "Between satire and anguish. The torments of Sicilian gallismo"
Texts: V. Brancati, Don Giovanni in Sicily, Milan, Feltrinelli; A. Camilleri, The Hunting Season, Palermo, Sellerio.
Critical studies: M. Novelli, La storia degli sguardi, in V. Brancati, Don Giovanni in Sicilia, ed. cit., pp. 165-178; L. Matt, Lettura stilistica della "Stagione della caccia," Quaderni camilleriani, 15, 2021, pp. 91-107. Also note that Camillerian glossaries are available at vigata.org and camillerindex.it.
Non-attending students
In addition to the above texts, non-attending students should prepare the volume by A. Casadei, Il Novecento, Il Mulino, Bologna. The volume is also recommended for attending students who feel the need to acquire a more solid historical and cultural framework within contemporary Italian literature.
Part of the Bibliography will be uploaded on Ariel.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of an oral interview on the topics of the syllabus, whose purpose is to verify the knowledge of the main issues, the acquisition of the basic methodological tools for the interpretation of literary texts and the ability to apply them appropriately and autonomous to the scheduled texts.
Attendance at lessons is strongly recommended for better exam preparation. However, the syllabus already includes additions for non-attending students.
There are no intermediate tests, nor partial exams. Students must register through the appropriate links on the University website: only in this case the exams can be regularly registered.
Attendance at lessons is strongly recommended for better exam preparation. However, the syllabus already includes additions for non-attending students.
There are no intermediate tests, nor partial exams. Students must register through the appropriate links on the University website: only in this case the exams can be regularly registered.
Unita' didattica A+B
L-FIL-LET/11 - CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN LITERATURE - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-FIL-LET/11 - CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)