6:30pm Monday 3rd August, Sant'Agostino Courtyard, via Guelfa
Reading and sharing anecdotes from La Bella Figura in Italian and English. Free event
BEPPE SEVERGNINI has been writing for the “Corriere della Sera” since 1995 and since 1998 he has been moderating the online forum “Italians” (www.corriere.it/italians), the subject of his most recent book: Italians. Il giro del mondo in 80 pizze [Italians. Around the World in 80 Pizzas] (Rizzoli 2008). He was a contributor and a correspondent for “The Economist” (1993-2003) and in Brussels he was voted “European Journalist of the Year 2004”. Since 2007, his journalism has been distributed by the New York Times Syndicate (www.nytsyn.com/opinion_col.php).
Severgnini’s books, published in Italy by Rizzoli, are bestsellers. Beppe Severgnini has written three portraits of nations: Inglesi (1990), Un italiano in America (1995) and La testa degli italiani (2005). Two books on language: L'inglese. Lezioni semiserie” (1992) and L'italiano. Lezioni semiserie (2007). Two travel books: Italiani con valigia (1993) and Manuale dell'imperfetto viaggiatore (2000). And an autobiography, which means a lot to him: Italiani si diventa (1998).
Un italiano in America became a National Bestseller in the US as Ciao, America! (Doubleday, 2002). La testa degli italiani was a New York Times Bestseller as La Bella Figura (Doubleday, 2006) and has been translated into nine languages.
A keen soccer fan, Beppe has been writing for the “Gazzetta dello Sport” since 2001. He is also the author of a multiple declaration of love for Inter Milan, his favourite soccer team: Interismi (2002), Altri interismi (2003) and Tripli Interismi! (2007). All three have been published in a single volume as Manuale del Perfetto Interista (2007).
Beppe Severgnini has written and presented the television programmes “Italians, cioè italiani” (RaiTre, 1997) and “Luoghi Comuni. Un viaggio in Italia” (RaiTre 2001 and 2002). Since 2004, he has worked with SKY Tg24 as an interviewer, presenter and contributor (“Severgnini alle 10”, “Zona Severgnini” and “America 2008”). In 2006, Severgnini explored the World Cup Finals in Germany for Sky Sport. Since 2007, he has been contributing to RadioMontecarlo.
Beppe Severgnini was born on 26 December 1956 at Crema, in the province of Cremona, where he graduated from a classics-oriented secondary school. He obtained his degree in international law at Pavia. After a training period at the European Community in Brussels, he was London correspondent for Indro Montanelli’s “il Giornale” (1984-1988), subsequently becoming special correspondent in Eastern Europe, Russia and China (1988-1992). He was seconded to “The Economist” in London (1993) and then served as Washington correspondent for “la Voce” (1994-1995).
Beppe Severgnini has taught at Middlebury College, Vermont (2006), and at the universities of Milan-Bocconi (2003 and 2006), Parma (1998) and Pavia (2002), which elected him “Alumnus of the Year” for 1998. He has also lectured at many universities in Italy and abroad.
In 2001, Beppe Severgnini was made an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) by HM Queen Elizabeth II.
Since 2008, Severgnini has been Honorary President of the Inter Club, Kabul.
Beppe Severgnini is married to Ortensia and has a son, Antonio.
