Elsa Morante (1912-1985) was an Italian novelist, short-story writer and poet. Born and raised in Rome, she started writing at a young age, initially publishing short stories in children's journals. Married to the writer Alberto Moravia, she spent much of the Second World War in hiding with him, both having much to fear from the Fascists due to their Jewish heritage and the social and sexual themes explored in their writing. Her first novel, House of Liars, was published in 1948 and won the Viareggio Prize. Arturo's Island, published in 1957, made her the first woman to win the Strega Prize, and in 1974 her novel History became a record-breaking bestseller and confirmed her reputation as one of the most important writers of twentieth-century Italy.

Arturo's Island

Designer: Pushkin Press

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