Natalia Ginzburg (née Levi) was an Italian author whose work explored family relationships, politics during and after the Fascist years and World War II, and philosophy. She wrote novels, short stories, and essays, for which she received the Strega Prize and Bagutta Prize. Most of her works were also translated into English and published in the United Kingdom and United States. An activist, for a time in the 1930s she belonged to the Italian Communist Party. In 1983 she was elected to Parliament from Rome as an Independent.
Books in order of publication:
Novels and short stories ( In Italian and English)
La strada che va in città (1942). The Road to the City, transl. Frances Frenaye (1949) – first published under the name Alessandra Tornimparte
È stato così (1947). The Dry Heart, transl. Frances Frenaye (1949)
Tutti i nostri ieri (1952). A Light for Fools / All Our Yesterdays, transl. Angus Davidson (1985)
Valentino (1957). Valentino, transl. Avril Bardoni (1987)
Sagittario (1957). Sagittarius, transl. Avril Bardoni (1987)
Le voci della sera (1961). Voices in the Evening, transl. D.M. Low (1963)
Lessico famigliare (1963). Family Sayings, transl. D.M. Low (1963); The Things We Used to Say, transl. Judith Woolf (1977); Family Lexicon, transl. Jenny McPhee (2017)
Caro Michele (1973). No Way, transl. Sheila Cudahy (1974); Dear Michael, transl. Sheila Cudahy (1975); Happiness, As Such, transl. Minna Zallman Proctor (2019) – adapted for the film Caro Michele (1976)
Famiglia (1977). Family, transl. Beryl Stockman (1988)
La famiglia Manzoni (1983). The Manzoni Family, transl. Marie Evans (1987)
La città e la casa (1984). The City and the House, transl. Dick Davis (1986)
Essays
Le piccole virtù (1962). The Little Virtues, transl. Dick Davis (1985)
Mai devi domandarmi (1970). Never Must You Ask Me, transl. Isabel Quigly (1970) – mostly articles published in La Stampa between 1968-1979
Vita immaginaria (1974). A Place to Live: And Other Selected Essays, transl. Lynne Sharon Schwartz (2002)
Serena Cruz o la vera giustizia (1990). Serena Cruz, or The Meaning of True Justice, transl. Lynn Sharon Schwartz (2002)
È difficile parlare di sé (1999). It’s Hard to Talk About Yourself, transl. Louise Quirke (2003)
Dramatic works
Ti ho sposato per allegria (1966). I Married You for Fun, transl. Henry Reed (1969); I Married You to Cheer Myself Up, transl. Wendell Ricketts (2008)
Fragola e panna (1966). The Strawberry Ice, transl. Henry Reed (1973); Strawberry and Cream, transl. Wendell Ricketts (2008)
La segretaria (1967). The Secretary, transl. Wendell Ricketts (2008)
L’inserzione (1968). The Advertisement, transl. Henry Reed (1968) – performed at the Old Vic, London, directed by Sir Laurence Olivier and starring Joan Plowright, in 1968.
Mai devi domandarmi (1970). Never Must You Ask Me, transl. Isabel Quigly (1973)
La porta sbagliata (1968). The Wrong Door, transl. Wendell Ricketts (2008)
Paese di mare (1968). A Town by the Sea, transl. Wendell Ricketts (2008)
Dialogo (1970). Duologue, transl. Henry Reed (1977); Dialogue, transl. Wendell Ricketts (2008)
La parrucca (1973). The Wig, transl. Henry Reed (1976); Jen Wienstein (2000); Wendell Ricketts (2008)
L’intervista (1988). The Interview, transl. Wendell Ricketts (2008)
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