Guest of the ilb 2002
Stefano Benni,
one of the most well-known Italian authors of political satire, was
born in Bologna in 1947. He is not only a novelist, dramatist and poet
but also a journalist and director. Since his literary breakthrough
with the science fiction novel »Terra!« in 1983, he has joined the
ranks of Italy's best-selling authors. He has written some twenty books
in a variety of genres which he handles playfully, ranging from
political thrillers to fairytales and the grotesque, and his works are
especially popular with young readers. Despite his macabre, fantastical
and exaggerated characters, his stories are close to reality.
Benni's literary output includes novels,
collections of short stories and volumes of poetry which have been
translated into several languages. The media satire »Baol« (1990) is
clearly a spin on George Orwell’s »1984«, as is the »Ministry of
Truth«, a TV archive which controls the masses through false images. A
satire on the media and politics full of black humour unfolds as his
novel mocks the sad world of the big city, greedy neo-liberalism and
the effects of globalisation. The moral imperative – which under the
noisy surface of his books conveys a serious and at times melancholy
picture – distinguishes Benni from proponents of pop literature.
In his novel »Spiriti« (2000), a biting political
satire of life in the 21st century, the author links the destinies of
seventy different characters through countless plot threads and scenes
in a mix of fairytale, utopia and the comic. The standard language and
clichés found in politics and the media are mercilessly caricatured:
»So, what do you think of that location? Shall we take it over live?
Shall we put it all on the net? That is a twenty billion euro business,
we’ll contribute one of these to a good cause, the rest we'll fritter
away ourselves«, is how the »king of showbiz and propaganda« churns out
his usual phrases as he relinquishes hold of the last little piece of
earth. Benni’s world of 2010 threatens to end in apocalypse due to
globalised ultra-capitalism, environmental destruction, war and
corruption, only to be saved by spirits. The writer has said, »I am
neither an optimist nor a pessimist. I am merely clear sighted.«
Benni’s novel »Achille piè veloce« (2003; t: The
swift-footed Achilles) has recently been translated into German and
tells the story of an unusual friendship between an editor hardly able
to cope with life and a terminally ill, monstrous author. Full of
fantastical twists and rich in a plethora of allusions to literature
and politics, a touching story is told with dark humour and language
that is at times chilling. Benni's latest book »Margherita Dolcevita«
(2005) is a novel for young people.
Alongside his literary works, the author also
writes columns for »Panorama« and »Il Manifesto«. In 1989 he directed
»Musica per vecchi animali« (1989; Eng. »Music for Old Animals«) and
took part in different theatre productions, including »Il bar sotto il
mare« (t: The bar under the sea). Today Benni lives in his birthplace
Bologna.
© international literature festival berlin
Stefano Benni online: www.stefanobenni.it | 
