Richard Dixon is an English translator of

Italian literature Italian literature is written in the Italian language, particularly within Italy. It may also refer to literature written by Italians or in other languages spoken in Italy, often languages that are closely related to modern Italian, including ...

. He translated the last works of

Umberto Eco Umberto Eco (5 January 1932 – 19 February 2016) was an Italian Medieval studies, medievalist, philosopher, Semiotics, semiotician, novelist, cultural critic, and political and social commentator. In English, he is best known for his popular ...

, including his novels '' The Prague Cemetery'', shortlisted for the

Independent Foreign Fiction Prize The ''Independent'' Foreign Fiction Prize (1990–2015) was a British literary award. It was inaugurated by British newspaper ''The Independent'' to honour contemporary fiction in translation in the United Kingdom. The award was first launched i ...

2012, and '' Numero Zero'', commended by the judges of the

John Florio Prize The John Florio Prize for Italian translation is awarded by the Society of Authors, with the co-sponsorship of the Italian Cultural Institute and Arts Council England. Named after the Tudor Anglo-Italian writer-translator John Florio Giovann ...

, 2016. He has also translated works by

Giacomo Leopardi Count Giacomo Taldegardo Francesco di Sales Saverio Pietro Leopardi (29 June 1798 – 14 June 1837) was an Italian philosopher, poet, essayist, and philologist. Considered the greatest Italian poet of the 19th century and one of the greatest a ...

, Roberto Calasso and Antonio Moresco.

Life

Richard Dixon was born in

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

, in 1956. He was educated at King Henry VIII School and

Lanchester Polytechnic Coventry University is a public research university in Coventry, England. The origins of Coventry University can be linked to the Coventry School of Design in 1843. It was known as Lanchester Polytechnic from 1970 until 1987, and then as Coven ...

, where he graduated in Business Law. He practised as a barrister in London for ten years before moving to Italy in 1989, where he now lives.

Selected translations

* '' The Prague Cemetery'' by

, 2011: shortlisted for the

, 2012 * ''Inventing the Enemy'' by Umberto Eco, 2012 * '' Zibaldone'' by

(with other translators), 2013 * ''The Combover'' by Adrián N. Bravi, 2013 * Author’s revisions to ''

The Name of the Rose ''The Name of the Rose'' ( ) is the 1980 debut novel by Italian author Umberto Eco. It is a historical fiction, historical murder mystery set in an Italian monastery in the year 1327, and an intellectual mystery combining semiotics in fiction, ...

'' by Umberto Eco, 2014 * ''Ardor'' by Roberto Calasso, 2014 * ''The Art of the Publisher'' by Roberto Calasso, 2015 * '' Numero Zero'' by Umberto Eco, 2015:

, 2016: Commended translation * ''Dante: The Story of His Life'' by Marco Santagata, 2016 * ''Distant Light'' by Antonio Moresco, 2016: shortlisted for the

American Literary Translators Association The American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) is an organization in the United States dedicated to literary translation. ALTA promotes literary translation through its annual ALTA conference and year-round events structured around the creatio ...

Italian Prose in Translation Award, 2017, shortlisted for the

International Dublin Literary Award The International Dublin Literary Award (), established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, is presented each year for a novel written or translated into English. It promotes excellence in world literature and is solely ...

, 2018 * '' The Experience of Pain'' by

Carlo Emilio Gadda Carlo Emilio Gadda (; 14 November 1893 – 21 May 1973) was an Italian writer and poet. He belongs to the tradition of the language innovators, writers who played with the somewhat stiff standard pre-war Italian language, and added elements of di ...

, 2017 * ''Chronicles of a Liquid Society'' by Umberto Eco, 2017 * ''The Ruin of Kasch'' by Roberto Calasso, 2018 * ''The Javelin Thrower'' by

Paolo Volponi Paolo Volponi (6 February 1924 – 23 August 1994) was an Italian writer, poet, and politician. Biography Volponi was born on 6 February 1924, in Urbino, Italy. He joined the Italian partisans in 1943. He studied law at Urbino University, w ...

, 2019 * '' The Unnamable Present'' by Roberto Calasso, 2019 * ''Crossing the Rubicon: Caesar’s Decision and the Fate of Rome'' by Luca Fezzi, 2019 * ''The Celestial Hunter'' by Roberto Calasso, 2020 * '' The Lehman Trilogy'' by Stefano Massini, 2020 * ''How to Spot a Fascist'' by Umberto Eco (with co-translator Alastair McEwen), 2020 * ''Valse Triste'' by

Marcello Fois Marcello Fois (born 20 January 1960) is an Italians, Italian writer. He was born in Nuoro in Sardinia and studied at the University of Bologna. His first novel ''Ferro Recente'' was published in 1989. A prolific author, he has also written scripts ...

, 2021 * ''The Book of Nonexistent Words'' by Stefano Massini, 2021 * ''South 1982'' by Adrián N. Bravi, 2022 * ''Clandestinity'' by Antonio Moresco, 2022 * ''Philosophy of the Home: Domestic Space and Happiness'' by Emanuele Coccia, 2024 * '' The World Machine'' by Paolo Volponi, 2024 * '' Hope:The Autobiography'' by

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

, 2025 He has also translated contemporary Italian poets, including Franco Buffoni and Eugenio De Signoribus''The World Poetry Review'', Issue 9, 2024 - https://worldpoetryreview.org/2024/03/13/four-poems-by-eugenio-de-signoribus/

References

External links

* Umberto Eco in conversation with Richard Dixon (in Italian) at the Italian Cultural Institute London - 25 February 201
123

Birmingham University Zibaldone Project

Description
of ''Distant Light'' by Antonio Moresco at

Archipelago Books Archipelago Books is an American not-for-profit publisher dedicated to promoting "cross-cultural exchange through international literature in translation." Located in Brooklyn, New York, it publishes small to mid-size runs of international fictio ...

Official website of Richard Dixon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dixon, Richard Italian–English translators 21st-century English translators Literary translators 1956 births Writers from Coventry People educated at King Henry VIII School, Coventry Alumni of Coventry University Living people