02609 - Italian Contemporary Literature

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student has deepened his/her knowledge of Italian lit-erature between the nineteenth and twenty-first century, and is able to identify and analyze the main connections between historical events and literary and cul-tural movements in contemporary Italy. He/she has acquired the methodological and terminological knowledge necessary to analyse literary texts, and he/she is able to interpret them at both formal and thematic levels.

Course contents

Fractured Genealogies, Unstable Dwellings
Figures of Displacement in Postwar Italian Literature

This course explores Italian literature between 1965 and 1978 as a site for the radical deconstruction of the foundational assumptions of modern Western thought. In a period marked by historical, political, and symbolic ruptures – from the Vietnam War to the kidnapping and assassination of Aldo Moro – literary texts do not merely represent a state of crisis: they enact it, dismantling from within the core oppositions of modernity, such as subject/object, human/non-human, male/female, rational/irrational.

Displacement (spaesamento) is understood here as a theoretical space: a threshold condition in which meaning is reconfigured, language falters, and subjectivity is reshaped beyond the boundaries of normative frameworks.

The course will focus on two main conceptual axes:

1. Fatherless: Through La figlia prodiga by Alice Ceresa and Lettera aperta by Goliarda Sapienza, we will examine the destabilization of the paternal law, the modern genealogical model, and traditional forms of symbolic authority, interrogating the potential for non-linear, affective, and resistant forms of transmission.

2. Placeless: Through Alice disambientata by Gianni Celati and Dissipatio H.G. by Guido Morselli, we will explore how writing stages radical experiences of dislocation, outlining precarious, post-human geographies where dwelling no longer means settling, but cohabiting with unpredictability.

The course adopts an interdisciplinary approach, fostering dialogue between literary criticism and contemporary philosophical and anthropological thought (including Deleuze and Guattari, Merleau-Ponty, Arendt, Cavarero, Muraro, Kohn, Viveiros de Castro, and Danowski).

Students attending class regularly will actively participate in discussions and prepare the assigned readings.
Non-attending students are required to read all literary texts on the syllabus and to study the handbook Cent’anni di letteratura italiana, edited by M. A. Bazzocchi (Einaudi, 2021). Additional critical materials will be provided during class or uploaded on the platform.

Readings/Bibliography

- Goliarda Sapienza, Lettera aperta (1967), Einaudi, Torino 2017.

- Alice Ceresa, La figlia prodiga (1967), Baldini Castoldi, Milano 2023.

- Gianni Celati (ed.), Alice disambientata. Materiali collettivi (su Alice) per un manuale di sopravvivenza (1978), Le Lettere, Firenze 2007.

- Guido Morselli, Dissipatio H.G. (1977), Adelphi, Milano 2024.

Critical essays in literary theory, philosophy, and anthropology will be indicated during class sessions and, where possible, made available through the Virtuale platform.

Non-attending students are required to read all the texts listed above and to study the following handbook:

Cent’anni di letteratura italiana, edited by M. A. Bazzocchi (Einaudi, 2021).

Teaching methods

The course consists of lectures focusing on key theoretical issues and the analysis of the assigned texts. Lectures will be complemented by collective discussions, and students will be encouraged to participate actively through questions, comments, and shared reflections.

Assessment methods

Assessment consists of a viva voce examination aiming to assess the knowledge and critical skills acquired by the candidate during the course.

1. First-class marks will be awarded to candidates who demonstrate an ability to analyse texts in depth and to produce an organic overview of the topics covered in the course. Overall mark between 27 and 30 cum laude (high linguistic ability is required).

2. A mostly mnemonic knowledge of the subject, analytical skills lacking depth, and correct but not always apposite expression will result in a modest mark. Overall mark between 23 and 26.

3. Elementary knowledge, superficial understanding, poor analytical skills, and inapposite expression will lead to a pass or only slightly higher mark. Overall mark between 18 and 22.

4. Gaps in the candidate’s knowledge, inapposite language, and inadequate engagement with the secondary literature offered in the course will result in a fail mark.

Registration for the assessment is on AlmaEsami (https://almaesami.unibo.it).

Teaching tools

PowerPoint presentations will be used during class and subsequently uploaded to the Virtuale platform. Critical essays, scholarly materials, and any additional bibliographic references to support individual study will also be made available on Virtuale.

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-edsa/en) and with the lecturer in order to seek together the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

Office hours

See the website of Elisa Attanasio

See the website of