Alongside language learning (in the appropriate language group, as in term 1), the second term of study for this module concentrates on the study of a selection of Italian poetry and prose (short stories) from the 20th and 21st centuries.

The aims of this part of the module are:

• to develop students’ ability to understand modern written Italian
• to develop students’ ability to appreciate critically Italian literary language and forms
• to enhance students’ sensitivity to the complexity of the translation process
• to increase students’ knowledge and understanding of movements and developments in post-war Italian literature, and of the work of individual authors
• to enable students to view the above developments comparatively, in the context of twentieth-century English and European literatures

There is a weekly one-hour seminar for the literature part of the module, which takes place on Thursday, 1-2pm in room H1.03. The tutors are Giulia Brecciaroli for the literature part (Term 2) and Joanne Lee for the three translation classes in Term 3.

The majority of poems to be discussed can be found in Poeti italiani del novecento, ed. by Pier Vincenzo Mengaldo (Milan: Mondadori, 1978). Poems asterisked below are from other sources, and the Italian ones will be given to you in photocopy.

The short stories can be found in New Penguin Parallel Texts: Short Stories in Italian, ed. by Nick Roberts (London: Penguin, 1999). This text is available in the University Bookshop, and students are advised to obtain a copy.

Note: The purpose of studying the parallel text stories is not only to make it easy for you to understand them. Make the most of the opportunity to compare the original with the translation directly, examining any differences and similarities in the language, syntax and sound of the texts, and being sensitive to the extent to which interpretation is a part of the translation process.

Programme for Term Two:

Week 1: Giuseppe Ungaretti, ‘Lontano’, ‘Girovago’ (p. 400) and ‘Ironia’ (p. 401)

Week 2: Umberto Saba, ‘In riva al mare’ (p. 210), Eugenio Montale, ‘Meriggiare pallido e assorto’ (p. 534)

Week 5: Primo Levi, ‘Buna’* and ‘Shemà’*

Week 7: Leonardo Sciascia, ‘Il lungo viaggio’

Week 8: Dacia Maraini, ‘La ragazza con la treccia’

Week 9: Italo Calvino, ‘L’ultimo canale’

Week 10: Diego De Silva, 'Il covo di Teresa'*

The literature part of the module will be assessed by means of a critical commentary and an essay, each of approximately 1,500 words. The deadlines for the two pieces of work are Monday 13th March 2017 and Monday 8th May 2017.

Please note that we reserve the right to make changes to the above schedule as necessary.