Why Do I Write?
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Document Type
Presentation
Date of Original Version
2013
Abstract
Dacia Maraini is one of the finest Italian woman writers alive today. She’s won, among others, both Campiello and Strega prizes, which are the most prestigious Italian literature awards. From February 28th to March 5th 2013, Dacia Maraini, one of Italy’s best known modern authors, served as the University’s Distinguished International Visiting Scholar. During her time at the University, she gave two lectures, visited several classes, and was the key-note speaker in the celebration of International Women’s Day. Additionally, she was involved in the premiere presentation of the English translation of her play Per Giulia (For Giulia).
Why Do I Write?
"I started to write" – Dacia Maraini says – "very early, because I come from a family of writers. My grandmother wrote, my father also (although he wrote about wines, not fiction), then also my grandfather, on my mother’s side. So, let’s say that writing for me is a family tradition, a job that has been passed on from father to son. I started to write when I was 14. Then I wrote for my school newspaper and when I was 17 I published my own magazine. At the age of 18 I started writing my first book and I published my first novel when I was 24. Since then I have never stopped writing.” For a writer, each book is a journey that sometimes involves difficult stops along the way, which helps the writer to discover a new world as well as him/herself. Dacia Maraini explains her writing process, saying: “Sometimes, there are moments in which you have the impression of failing, of not being able to say what you want, because you are navigating in the dark. It feels like you are traveling in difficult waters, where you might encounter a rock, an iceberg, and you can sink, surrounded by fog. So, the journey of writing is not always an easy one. At the same time I have an instinct, which pushes me to go on and travel. It is a habit of such intensity and of immense pleasure and it is a fundamental part of my life. I could not live without it.”