Franco Piccinelli: the writer of epic peasant culture
Franco Piccinelli was the president of the International Competition the “Enchanted Wood” since 2000 ( with the parenthesis of 2004 when it was Remo Palmirani for the launch of the section Ex Libris ) He was one of the greatest interpreters of the " Process to Wine " which was held in Borgo Robinie , Bosia , as part of "Festival of Swiss Roots in the Langhe " .
It was an unforgettable experience with Piccinelli as the president of an emblematic Court of Appeal composed by Tomaso Zanoletti , Maria Teresa Armosino , Brigitte Schok , Lido Riba , Walter Scellembau and Franco Morabito, who accused a witch of drinking wine and practice witchcraft.
It was one of the greatest storytellers of collective memory and peasant epic . That is to say that he was able to narrate the heroic deeds of the peasants and women of the Langhe , but also to keep alive the oral culture. He continues the tradition of Cesare Pavese , Beppe Fenoglio and Nuto Revelli with his nice style and love for details , without being boring both in oral as in written works.
His description of the peasant life is a masterpiece as photographs immortalized in time . Twice winner of the Award Selection Stall (1999-2001) , he received the Awards “Fregene , Mediterranean , Bunting , Caserta , Gozzano , Ischia” and he was a finalist at the “Premio Viareggio” . His works were translated into English , French, German and some of his novels were adapted to the theater and represented in Italy and abroad.
He was a great storyteller and lectured at various universities in Italy and the United States . He was awarded with various honors including the one to the Italian Republic . A law graduate , he was President of the Italian Federation of Handball.
He was born in Neive ( Cuneo ) and lived for a long time in Rome, where he worked in RAI . In Ancona he has directed the newspaper "Voice of the Adriatic " from 1965 to 1968, and he also cooperated for the newspaper “La Stampa” . In 1979 , while directed the Editorial journalistic RAI in Turin , he was severely injured in an ambush by the Red Brigades .
He made his debut in fiction in 1961 with " The Hills glow in the dark " which was followed by twenty-eight novels and several essays such as “Orchestra will play a choice” , “Bella don’t cry” , “Fear at noon” . Other works were : " Tersilio Manera, the farmer " , " The days of the patriarch ," " Meeting in Turin " , " Up to the last row " , " The big house " , " A love Italian " , " Three owls on the dresser " " once upon a time the train" , " once Upon a Time Italy " , " Italian goodbye " , "Journey to the afterlife " , "Sunday of October " , "The Changeling" , " The Vultures " " The devil's rain ," The Chamber (1998 ) , " Letters from the Langhe (1997 ) , “Dialogues of the Carabinieri with murder” (1999 ) , " A lot haunted " and “Hill of farewell” (2001 ), “ With the roots to the wind” ( 2002 ), “The unfinished fate of a school teacher” ( 2005 ) , “Life is Wittoria” ( 2006 ) , dedicated to his wife and “The man of the rondo” ( 2008 ) .
We are particularly attached to “The Hill of farewell” that is inspired by a true story so dear to us.
