Gente in Aspromonte, published in 1930, established Corrado Alvaro as a vital observer of the rural poor in Calabria. This narrative explored the exploitation of peasants by landowners, cementing his reputation within Italian letters. Throughout his career, he functioned as a journalist, screenwriter, and novelist, producing a body of work defined by political conviction and social scrutiny.
Early Life and War Service
Born in San Luca in 1895, Alvaro was the son of Antonio, a primary school teacher who established an evening school for local farmers. He received his education at Jesuit boarding schools in Rome and Umbria before earning a degree in literature from the University of Milan in 1919. During World War I, he served as a soldier in the Italian army, suffering wounds to both arms that required extended hospitalization.
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Post-war, Alvaro moved into journalism, contributing to Il Resto di Carlino and Corriere della Sera. He spent time in Paris as a correspondent for the anti-Fascist publication Il Mondo. In 1925, he joined other intellectuals in supporting the Manifesto of the Anti-Fascist Intellectuals. His debut novel, L'uomo nel labirinto (1926), scrutinized the rise of Fascism, an act that invited persistent surveillance by Mussolini’s regime and necessitated his departure from Italy during the 1930s.
Exile and Literary Achievement
During his period of forced travel across the Middle East, Western Europe, and the Soviet Union, Alvaro produced significant travel essays and fiction. His 1938 work, L'uomo è forte, acted as a defense of individual autonomy against totalitarian systems. He received the Strega Prize in 1951 for his memoir, Quasi una vita. Giorgio di uno scrittore. Beyond literature, he engaged in screenwriting, contributing to films such as Women Without Names and Pact with the Devil.
Final Years
Returning to Italy after World War II, Alvaro remained active in journalism, film criticism, and theatre. In 1947, he assumed the role of secretary for the Italian Association of Writers, a position he retained until he died in Rome in 1956. He remains the first author to document the operations of the 'Ndrangheta in his journalistic and creative writing, including an article for Corriere della Sera in 1955.
Fast facts
- Born: 1895, San Luca
- Died: 1956, Rome
- Education: University of Milan
- Notable Award: Strega Prize (1951)
- Military Rank: Soldier
- Language: Italian
- Burial Site: Vallerano
Questions readers ask
What is considered Corrado Alvaro's masterpiece?
Many critics consider his 1930 novel Gente in Aspromonte his most significant work.
Did Alvaro engage with the 'Ndrangheta in his writing?
Yes, he was among the first to address the criminal association in his short stories and a 1955 article in Corriere della Sera.
Achievements
- Strega Prize — 1951
