About the Author

Alberto Vigevani (1918-1999) was a writer, publisher, and bibliophile. His novels, short stories and poems are largely autobiographical. They include Estate al lago (Milan, 1958), Le foglie di San Siro (Milan, 1962), Un certo Ramondès (Milan, 1966), L’invenzione (Florence, 1970), Fata Morgana (Milan, 1978), the anthology Fine delle domeniche (Florence, 1973). His poems have been collected in two volumes: Anche le più lievi (Milan, 1985) and L’esistenza (Milan, 1993). Many have been republished by Sellerio Editore.

He was born in Milan to a Jewish family. While studying literature at the University of Venice he became interested in theater, publishing, and cinema. In 1935 he was given a small role in Monicelli’s film I ragazzi della via Pal born in a circle of friends that included Alberto Mondadori, Cesare Civita, Ernesto Treccani, and Alberto Lattuada.

Following the racial laws of 1938, he enrolled at the University of Grenoble and continued to work in Italy under the assumed name of Berto Vani with which co-founded the magazine Corrente with Luciano Anceschi, Raffaele De Grada, Vittorio Sereni, and Ernesto Treccani. He also helped create two bookstores La Lampada and Il Politico which became home to many opposers of the regime. In 1943 he published his first novel Erba d’infanzia (Parenti, 84 Firenze) and frequented the group “Giubbe Rosse” meeting Eugenio Montale and Carlo Emilio Gadda.

In the wake of the armistice of September 8th 1943, he fled to Switzerland with his wife Annamaria Camerini and their newborn son Paolo. In Lugano he directed the literary section of the socialist paper Libera stampa.

After the war, Vigevani returned to Italy and began a long collaboration with the socialist newspaper Avanti! with a chronicle of the liberation of Milan. He continued an intense activity as antiquarian book dealer and publisher.

His personal papers are preserved at the Centro Apice at the University of Milan.