.The 60th anniversary of the publication of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's The Leopard will be celebrated at the University of Melbourne on 12-14 November 2018. On 12 November, the writer Simonetta Agnello-Hornby will give an open public lecture, 'The North and South in 20th Century Italy and the Effect of The Leopard in Sicily and in Europe', examining the impact of di Lampedusa's major work, in book and film (Visconti, 1963) form, in Sicily itself and on European views of Sicilians. The lecture, 5.30-6.30pm in the Forum Theatre (North Wing), Arts West Building (153), at the University of Melbourne, is the prelude to a two-day symposium, 'The Leopard': Sicily, Italy and the Supranational Cultural Imaginary, convened by Mark Nicholls (Melbourne), Gregoria Manzin (La Trobe), Annamaria Pagliaro (Monash) and Agnese Bresin (Melbourne and La Trobe) on 13-14 November, 10.00am-5.00pm at the Interactive Cinema, Arts West, Room 353, at the University of Melbourne.
The symposium, open to all, will cover many aspects of di Lampedusa's work, along with analyses of Visconti's film and a variety of Sicilian texts, art works and historical events. Registration for the lecture is here. For further information on the lecture and the symposium, contact Mark Nicholls.
Simonetta Agnello-Hornby was born in Palermo and has spent most of her adult llife in London. Her debut novel, La Mennulara/The Almond Picker was published in Italy in 2002 by Feltrinelli. Translated into more than ten languages, it became an international bestseller. She has also published La zia Marchesa/The Marchesa, 2005; Boccamurata, 2007; Vento Scomposto, 2009; La Monaca/The Nun, 2010; Il veleno dell'Oleandro, 2013; Caffè amaro, 2016, and various memoirs, short stories, and non-fiction works. In 2016 she was awarded the Order of the Star of Italy in the rank of Grand Officer by the President of the Italian Republic. In November 2018, the publisher Feltrinelli will launch the graphic novel version of La Mennulara, created in collaboration with comic book artist and illustrator, Massimo Fenati.
