Clara Sereni (28 August 1946 – 25 July 2018) was an Italian writer of

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

descent. She was born and married in Rome where she remained until 1991. Then she moved to

Perugia Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and pa ...

. She became known to critics and the public with her first book, ''Sigma Epsilon'' (1974), an autobiographical revisiting of the frenzied political times marking her generation. Her second work, ''Casalinghitudine'', written thirteen years later, is a kind of recipe book where each dish is linked with a particular moment of her own past, an indelible memory. Her popularity increased with short stories, such as ''Manicomio primavera'' (1989) and the novel ''Il gioco dei regni'' (1993), which won her two literary prizes. Sereni's activities also span the social and political arenas. In the

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n capital of

she was elected Deputy Mayor, with the Social Policies portfolio, from 1995 to 1997. In 1998, following a difficult personal situation (her son Matteo has been affected by

psychosis Psychosis is a condition of the mind that results in difficulties determining what is real and what is not real. Symptoms may include delusions and hallucinations, among other features. Additional symptoms are incoherent speech and behavior ...

from birth), Sereni promoted the ''Città del sole'' NGO Foundation (becoming its President) – a charity

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental hea ...

organisation for the disabled and gravely afflicted. She was also a columnist for the Italian newspapers ''

l'Unità ''l'Unità'' (, lit. 'the Unity') was an Italian language, Italian newspaper, founded as the official newspaper of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) in 1924. It was supportive of that party's successor parties, the Democratic Party of the Left, ...

'' and '' Il Manifesto'', and translated and edited works by Balzac, Stendhal,

Madame de la Fayette Marie-Madeleine Pioche de La Vergne, Comtesse de La Fayette (baptized 18 March 1634 – 25 May 1693), better known as Madame de La Fayette, was a French writer; she authored ''La Princesse de Clèves'', France's first historical novel and one ...

. Moreover, she reviewed many books, among which in 1996 the important ''Si può (You can)'', where five Italian journalists ( Lucia Annunziata,

Gad Lerner Gad Eitan Lerner ( he, גד איתן לרנר; born 7 December 1954) is an Italian journalist, writer and TV presenter. Career In 2000, Lerner served as director of news broadcasts TG1 for Rai 1 but resigned after a selection of pornographic ...

Barbara Palombelli Barbara may refer to: People * Barbara (given name) * Barbara (painter) (1915–2002), pseudonym of Olga Biglieri, Italian futurist painter * Barbara (singer) (1930–1997), French singer * Barbara Popović (born 2000), also known mononymously ...

, Oreste Pivetta and

Gianni Riotta Gianni Riotta (born 1954 in Palermo, Italy) is an Italian journalist, a regular contributor for the daily newspaper La Stampa and a former editor-in-chief of the financial newspaper ''Il Sole 24 Ore'', Rai 3 and the news bulletin TG1. He has c ...

) narrate a positive story of integration into society of the mentally disabled. In 2003 she won the

Grinzane Cavour Prize The Grinzane Cavour Prize (1989–2009) was an Italian literary award established in 1982 by Francesco Meotto. The annual award ceremony took place in the medieval castle of Grinzane Cavour. The goal of the prize was to attract young people to re ...

for Literature. In 2004 Sereni took part in the documentary movie ''Un silenzio particolare (A Particular Silence)'', directed by her husband Stefano Rulli, on their mutual experience of life with their son Matteo, also in the movie.

Bibliography

*''Sigma epsilon'', Marsilio, 1974 *''Casalinghitudine (Housewifery)'', Einaudi, 1987 *''Manicomio Primavera (Spring Madhouse)'', Giunti, 1989 *''Il gioco dei regni (The Play of Kingdoms)'', Giunti, 1993 (Prize of the Lucca Readers and Marotta Prize) *''Eppure (However)'' Feltrinelli, 1995 *''Taccuino di un'ultimista (An Ultimist Notebook)'', Feltrinelli, 1998 *''Da un grigio all'altro (From one grey to the other)'', Di Renzo, 1998 *''Passami il sale (Pass the Salt)'', Rizzoli, 2002 (the Pisa National Literary Prize) *''Le Merendanze (Snackers)'', Rizzoli, 2004 *''Il lupo mercante (The Merchant Wolf)'', Rizzoli, 2007

References

External links

*Paolo Di Paolo,
'' Vissuto da pelle femminile''
'. Interview with Clara Sereni on ''ItaliaLibri''
"Food and Subjectivity in Clara Sereni's ''Casalinghitudine'', on ''Italica'' 1994
(JStor)
"Consuming Women and Animals in Clara Sereni's Casalinghitudine", on ''Italica'' 1999
(JStor)
''Keeping House'', by Clara Sereni, et al.
(on Googlebooks) {{DEFAULTSORT:Sereni, Clara 1946 births 2018 deaths Italian journalists Italian women novelists Italian people of Jewish descent Writers from Rome Italian women journalists Italian columnists Italian women columnists 20th-century Italian novelists 20th-century Italian women writers 21st-century Italian novelists 21st-century Italian women writers 20th-century Italian translators 21st-century Italian translators 20th-century Italian women politicians 20th-century Italian politicians 21st-century Italian journalists 21st-century Italian women journalists 20th-century Italian journalists 20th-century Italian women journalists