An Evening with “Italian” Writers Carmine Abate and Amara Lakhous, and Prof. Grace Russo Bullaro

An Evening with “Italian” Writers: Carmine Abate and Amara Lakhous and Professor Grace Russo Bullaro

This event is centered around the two writers Carmine Abate and Amara Lakhous. Carmine Abate grew up in Carlizzi, a small village of the Arbersche community, in southern Calabria. After graduating from the University of Bari (Puglia), he moved to Hamburg, where his father had earlier emigrated. There he taught at a school for immigrants and began publishing his first stories. In 1984, his first collection of short stories appeared under the title Den Koffer und weg! This was followed by a socio-anthropological study conducted jointly with Meike Behrmann on the community of Calabrian emigrants, published as I Germanesi. After a decade in Germany, Abate returned to Italy and settled in Besenello in Trentino, where he continues to work as a writer and teacher.

Amara Lakhous, migrated to Italy and in 1999 published his first novel in a bi-lingual edition, Le cimici e il pirata. Born in Algiers, he has a degree in philosophy from the University of Algiers and another in cultural anthropology from the Sapienza – Università di Roma. Clash of Civilizations over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio won Italy’s prestigious Flaiano prize. La zingarata della verginella di Via Ormea is his latest novel.

Also speaking will be Professor Grace Russo Bullaro, Lehman College, about the new “Italian” in Italy. Related to this topic, her books include, From Terrone to Extracomunitario: New Manifestations of Racism in Contemporary Italian Cinema (2010).

The event will be moderated by Anthony Julian Tamburri, Distinguished Professor of European Languages and Literatures and Dean of the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute.