Romano Bilenchi (9 November 1909 – 18 November 1989) was an Italian novelist, short story writer and essayist. He was born in

Siena Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...

. He was involved with the resistance movement during the Fascist rule of

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...

. He was also active in the

Italian Communist Party The Italian Communist Party (, PCI) was a communist and democratic socialist political party in Italy. It was established in Livorno as the Communist Party of Italy (, PCd'I) on 21 January 1921, when it seceded from the Italian Socialist Part ...

after the war. He founded a magazine, '' Società'', together with Cesare Luporini and

Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli (19 February 1900 – 17 January 1975) was an Italian Archaeology, archaeologist and Art history, art historian. Biography Bianchi Bandinelli was born in Siena to Mario Bianchi Bandinelli (1859–1930) and Margheri ...

in 1945. As a writer, Bilenchi published novels, short stories and essays. He won the

Viareggio Prize The Viareggio Prize ( or ) is an Italian literature, literary prize, first awarded in 1930. Named after the Tuscany, Tuscan city of Viareggio, it was conceived by three friends, , Carlo Salsa and Leonida Repaci, to rival the Milanese Bagutta Priz ...

in 1972. His literary friends included major 20th-century figures like Eugenio Montale and

Ezra Pound Ezra Weston Loomis Pound (30 October 1885 – 1 November 1972) was an List of poets from the United States, American poet and critic, a major figure in the early modernist poetry movement, and a Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Ita ...

. He died in

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

in 1989.

Works

Fiction

*''Vita di Pisto'', Torino, Il Selvaggio, 1931. *''Cronaca dell'Italia meschina, ovvero Storia dei socialisti di Colle'', Firenze, Vallecchi, 1933. *''Il capofabbrica. Racconti'', Roma, Circoli, 1935. *''Mio cugino Andrea'', Firenze, Vallecchi, 1936. *''Anna e Bruno e altri racconti'', Firenze, Parenti, 1938. *''Conservatorio di Santa Teresa'', Firenze, Vallecchi, 1940. *''La siccità:racconti,'' Firenze, Edizioni di rivoluzione, 1941; nuova ed. , binomiale: ''La Siccita'-La Miseria'' , Firenze, Vallecchi, 1944. *''Dino e altri racconti'', Firenze, Vallecchi, 1942. *''Racconti'', Firenze, Vallecchi, 1958. *''Una città'', Galatina (Lecce), Pajano, 1958. *''Il bottone di Stalingrado'', Firenze, Vallecchi, 1972. *''Il processo di Mary Dugan e altri racconti'', Torino, Einaudi, 1972. *''La rosa non finita'', Firenze, Pananti, 1980. *''Il gelo'', Milano, Rizzoli, 1982. Translated as ''The Chill'' *''Gli anni impossibili'', contiene: ''La siccità'', ''La miseria'', ''Il gelo'', Milano, Rizzoli, 1984. . *''Pomeriggio. Due racconti'', Siena, Taccuini di Barbablù, 1985. *''I tedeschi. Racconto'', Milano, All'insegna del pesce d'oro, 1985. . *''L'attentato'', Firenze, Pananti, 1986. *''Maria'', Prato, Comune di Prato, 1986. *''Due ucraini e altri amici'', Milano, Rizzoli, 1990. .

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bilenchi, Romano 1909 births 1989 deaths Writers from Siena 20th-century Italian novelists 20th-century Italian male writers Viareggio Prize winners Italian magazine founders