Beppe Costa
Beppe Costa in its library Pellicanolibri. Picture by Dino Ignani.
Born (1941-08-25) 25 August 1941 (age 83)
Concetto Costa, Catania, Kingdom of Italy
Occupations
  • Poet
  • writer
  • essayist
  • publisher

Beppe Costa (born 25 August 1941) is an Italian poet, novelist and publisher.

Biography

[edit]

The beginning

[edit]

Born into a poor family grows, however, in an environment rich in books. He published the first volume of poems in 1970[1] (Una poltrona comoda, Giuseppe Di Maria editore), characterized, like the others that follow, by the theme of love and nonconformity. Beppe Costa Beppe wrote and published two tour guides,[1] first at local level, Catania, Guida ai monumenti, and the second at regional level, Sicilia, Guida ai monumenti, both with Muglia publisher. Translated two books of the playwright Fernando Arrabal. In 1978 he met the poet Dario Bellezza which will begin with poetry readings and book presentations all around Italy, using everywhere is available: squares, bars, libraries, theaters.

Successes

[edit]

He reaches fame with the book Romanzo siciliano, that treat the autobiographical story of an intellectual Sicilian in his struggle and his complaint the south and the Mafia.

In the United States the novel is reviewed by World Literature Today.[2]

Beppe Costa collaborated until 1985 with articles on Giornale del Sud and in Siciliani both directed by Giuseppe Fava. He publishes in Giornale di Sicilia interviews to Alberto Moravia, Enzo Jannacci, Léopold Sédar Senghor, Leo Ferré. He also participates to the radio program of poetry by RadioRai [it] named Zenit & Nadir. In 1985 he finally left Sicily. He public other collections of poems and receive the Akesineide prize for Fatto d'amore and Canto d'amore.

In 1989 wins the Alfonso Gatto prize with the collection Impaginato per affetto. The preface is by Giacinto Spagnoletti [it], who, first, recognized the artistic talent of Pier Paolo Pasolini, positively appreciates the poetry of Beppe Costa, in which beautifully expresses the pain of living, the need to love and the difficulty of harmonizing this with the reality of another world. The book will be presented in different school, The book will be presented in different schools in common with the same Spagnoletti and, in Rome, from Giorgio Bassani.

Beppe Costa and Alejandro Jodorowsky at Taormina Film Fest

His poems were read by actors like Lina Bernardi [it], Arnoldo Foà, Milena Mancini, Viviana Piccolo, Sara Pusceddu e Valeria Di Francesco and set to music, among others, by da Giovanni Renzo, Alessandra Celletti, Nicola Alesini, Giuliano Perticara, Mario Pettenati, and Gianluca Attanasio. Fascinated by the musical innovations, Beppe Costa recorded a cd with Giovanni Renzo. This experience led him quickly to make visual poetry with photos and music videos mostly of René Aubry and Alessandra Celletti. He inaugurate, with Beatrice Niccolai, in 2008, the exhibition Malaspinarte.[3]

In 2008 the encounter with the poet and composer Mario Salis contributes to greater synergy to the Italian edition of the Teranova Festival, who was born in France and founded by Mario Salis under the leadership of Fernando Arrabal, has already seen the participation of Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Patrice Leconte and of the same Arrabal.

An event of enormous importance in March 2010 for the cycle Beppe Costa meetings, Fernando Arrabal in Rome,[4] guest of spent two days with the Poets From Space, a group of poets from different Italian regions, chosen by Fabio Barcellandi.

Came out in June 2010, for Multimedia Publishing (Casa della Poesia from Baronissi – Salerno), his new collection of poems Anche ora che la luna, with a letter from Adele Cambria and Lia Levi [it].
From 2011 began the partnership with the poet Stefania Battistella creating the new reading/show: di me, di altri, ancora.[5]

Publishing activity

[edit]

In 1976 he founded the publishing house Pellicanolibri, in promoting his work as editor of artists bashful, awkward or marginalized. He rediscovers and publishes the stories of Luigi Capuana: Si conta e si racconta (Pellicanolibri, 1989) and a volume that Federico De Roberto dedicated to his city, Catania. He also publishes the translated texts of the contemporary French philosopher Gaston Bachelard.[6] From a meeting with Jodorowsky, the idea of publishing the book on the Panic Movement,[7] a surrealist movement founded by Alejandro Jodorowsky with Fernando Arrabal and Roland Topor. In 1980 he translated and published the first work of the writer Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, Manifesto subnormal.[8] It will be also editor of Gisèle Halimi, Luce d'Eramo, Alberto Moravia, Dario Bellezza, Goliarda Sapienza, Arnoldo Foà, Angelo Maria Ripellino. Since 1982, with the poet Dario Bellezza gives life to the series Inediti rari e diversi in order to report the authors excluded from the Italian literary society, like Anna Maria Ortese.

From 1992 Pellicanolibri becomes a great library on the edge of Rome. Here will reach authors from all parts of Italy and not only.

Beppe Costa and Bacchelli law

[edit]

In 1985 manages together with Adele Cambria to make apply for the first time the Legge Bacchelli [it] in favor of Anna Maria Ortese.

Shows and tours

[edit]
Beppe Costa with Leonardo Omar Onida, Jack Hirschman and Paul Polansky at the Civic Theatre during Ottobre in Poesia

Anche ora che la luna

[edit]

From January 2008, begins the tour of poetry and music Anche ora che la luna.[9] Initially, in Salento with the composer Giovanni Renzo at the piano, after alone and performing throughout Italy in places like the Literary Cafe in Rome and the Civic Theatre in Sassari. This tour[10] will continue up to 2011.

Ho ancora voglia di sognare

[edit]

In 2009, began a collaboration with the French singer Eva Lopez [fr], creating the show Ho ancora voglia di sognare,[11] interpreting poems in their context and in the encounter with the songs of Leo Ferré, Édith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens.

Di me, di altri, ancora

[edit]

In 2009, gets under way the new show di me, di altri, ancora, touring around Italy[12] (taken from the eponymous book forthcoming). In 2012 the tour[13] di me, di altri, ancora will restart with the poet Stefania Battistella.

Beppe, il poeta che amava le donne

[edit]

The director Ricky Farina produces the film Beppe, il poeta che amava le donne (Quixote production, 2009).

Ottobre in Poesia

[edit]

In 2009 he is the guest of honor at Ottobre in Poesia[14] in Sassari, and in 2010 participates in numerous meetings with students from different schools of Sassari. At the end of the Festival Ottobre in Poesia, at the Civic Theatre in Sassari receives the poetics key of the city.

Events in 2012

[edit]

On the occasion of 20 years since the birth of the library Pellicanolibri, begin (from February to June) a series of meetings that will see, among the guests, personalities such as Arnoldo Foà, Adele Cambria, Paul Polansky, Jack Hirschman, Viorel Boldis, Alessandra Celletti, Dave Lordan, Andrea Garbin, Fabio Barcellandi, Don Backy and many others.

Our days

[edit]

In 2012 is invited[15] at the 13th, then will be invited to the 14th and 15th, edition of the Nissan Festival which takes place in Maghar, (Israel) founded by the poet Naim Araidi.[16] From 2015 he is president of Terre di Virgilio Prize,[17] from 2016 he is part of Francisco de Aldana Prize jury.[18] He began a collaboration with Era Buçpapaj, of the University of Tirana for several translations from English and Italian. In September 2019 he was invited to the International Poetry Festival in Kosovo, where he met the writer Luan Rama, who, a few days later, wrote an article for two newspapers in Tirana. (Schiptarja.com and Gazeta Schiptare)

Prize

[edit]

Works

[edit]

Guides

[edit]

Anthologies

[edit]

Prose and poetry

[edit]
Beppe Costa at Politeama Greco in Lecce

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b [1], Casa della Poesia: bibliography of Beppe Costa.
  2. ^ [2], Denise Valtz Ferreri (Winter, 1986) "Beppe Costa -Romanzo Siciliano-". World Literature Today.
  3. ^ [3] Archived 6 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, portal province of Massa.
  4. ^ [4], Fernando Arrabal a Roma.
  5. ^ "Comune di Genzano di Roma - Videopoesia con Beppe Costa". Archived from the original on 22 August 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012., Beppe Costa "di me, di altri, ancora", with the participation of Stefania Battistella.
  6. ^ [5], Comunicazione Filosofica n. 10, maggio 2002.
  7. ^ "Panico - Arrabal Fernando - Jodorowsky Alejandro - Topor Roland - libro -". Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2012., Panico, Pellicanolibri 1978.
  8. ^ "Manifesto subnormale - Vázquez Montalbán Manuel - libro -". Archived from the original on 29 July 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2012., Manifesto subnormale, it:Pellicanolibri 1980.
  9. ^ [6] Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Anche ora che la luna date tour.
  10. ^ "Cultura e spettacolo | Ottobre in poesia Sassari 16-17-18 Ottobre". Archived from the original on 20 February 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2012., Anche ora che la luna at Civic Theatre in Sassari.
  11. ^ [7] Archived 1 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Beppe Costa and Eva Lopez.
  12. ^ [8], date di me, di altri, ancora tour.
  13. ^ [9] Archived 2 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine, di me, di altri, ancora spazio Tadini.
  14. ^ [10] Archived 28 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Literary Prize "Città di Sassari" this morning the ceremony with Beppe Costa.
  15. ^ [11], invito al Nisan Festival di Maghar, Israrele 2012.
  16. ^ [12], Festival Internacional NISAN.
  17. ^ [13], Premio Nazionale di Poesia Terra di Virgilio – ADN Kronos.
  18. ^ [14], El abulense Muñoz Quirós logra II Premio Internacional convocado en Nápoles – La Vanguardia.
  19. ^ [15], EPIFANIA: DOMANI AL TEATRO ORIONE DI ROMA LA 'BEFANA DEL POLIZIOTTO 2009'.
  20. ^ [16], Premio Città di Ostia.
  21. ^ [17] Archived 6 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Beppe Costa e Tomaso Binga al PhotoFestival di Nettuno.

Bibliography

[edit]
[edit]
[edit]
Categories