Italian literature examined in new book and Piemonte study

Guendalina Middei's new volume, "Non rinnegare il cuore," published by Feltrinelli in February 2026, presents seven portrait-style essays on cultural figures such as Emily Dickinson, Ernest Hemingway, Italo Calvino, Vincent van Gogh, Mikhail Bulgakov, Mahmoud Darwish and Grazia Deledda. The book avoids conventional biography and instead probes the personal tensions that shaped each creator's work and legacy.

A separate essay turns to the Piedmont region, arguing that its unique social and industrial history has generated a distinct literary output. It highlights Vittorio Bersezio’s 1863 play "Le miserie ‘d Monsù Travet" as a snapshot of a rapidly modernising Turin during Italy’s unification, illustrating how the city’s landscape and class dynamics influenced regional writers.