Gigliucci cesare pavese biography

Cesare Pavese, an Italian poet, writer, literary critic, and translator, is considered one of the key authors of the 20th century in his native country. Every year, Pavese would return to his hometown during summer vacations. He initially attended school in Santo Stefano Belbo but later pursued his education in Turin. During his formative years, he was greatly influenced by his teacher, Augusto Monti, who was not only an educator but also a writer known for his straightforward style.

As a young writer, Pavese developed a particular interest in English literature. He completed his studies at the University of Turin, defending a dissertation on the poetry of Walt Whitman.

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Leone Ginzburg, a specialist in Russian literature and literary criticism, was one of his mentors at the university. Ginzburg was also the husband of writer Natalia Ginzburg and the father of historian Carlo Ginzburg. At this stage of his career, Pavese also worked as a translator, translating works by both classical and contemporary American and British authors that were just gaining recognition among the Italian audience.

Pavese became involved in anti-fascist movements and, in , he was arrested and sentenced for possessing letters from political prisoners. After spending several months in prison, he was included in the "confino" program, which involved being exiled to Southern Italy, typically for those guilty of non-serious political offenses. Carlo Levi and Leone Ginzburg also underwent the same process of expulsion from Turin.

A year later, Pavese returned to Turin, where he worked as a translator and editor for leftist publisher Giulio Einaudi. Natalia Ginzburg also worked alongside him. While living in Rome, Pavese was drafted into the fascist army but spent six months in a military hospital due to asthma. When he returned to Turin, the city streets were occupied by German troops, and most of his friends joined the underground resistance against the fascist regime.

Pavese sought refuge in the hilly countryside surrounding Serralunga di Crea, near Casale Monferrato.