Eva Colorni (1941–1985) was an Italian

economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...

Early life

Eva Colorni was born in Italy in 1941 to

anti-fascist Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...

activists Eugenio Colorni and Ursula Hirschmann. Her father was a socialist philosopher, while her mother was a German-born economist that had fled

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

. Her father was killed by fascists during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Her mother remarried Altiero Spinelli, who became Colorni's stepfather.

Education and career

Colorni attended the

University of Pavia The University of Pavia (, UNIPV or ''Università di Pavia''; ) is a university located in Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. There was evidence of teaching as early as 1361, making it one of the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest un ...

and then began teaching. She moved to India where she taught at the Delhi School of Economics. She then moved to England.

Personal life

Colorni began dating

Amartya Sen Amartya Kumar Sen (; born 3 November 1933) is an Indian economist and philosopher. Sen has taught and worked in England and the United States since 1972. In 1998, Sen received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions ...

, with whom she moved to North London in 1973. They married in 1978 and had two children together. After being diagnosed with cancer, she continued to teach for nearly two additional terms. She died of stomach cancer in 1985. Colorni helped guide Sen's work, directing his attention to "practical issues of importance". She is also credited as an influence on her uncle, Albert O. Hirschman.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colorni, Eva 1941 births 1985 deaths 20th-century Italian economists Italian women economists