The above video gives a flavour of our forthcoming book: Sicily: A Literary Guide for Travellers. It will be published by Tauris Parke and is due for release in March 2014 (Europe and North America). Amazon pre-order details are given below. The following information has been issued by the publisher.
“Without Sicily, Italy leaves no image in the soul. Sicily is the key to everything.” Goethe, Italian Journey
Rising up from the heart of the Mediterranean, Sicily has a rich and ancient history spanning over 2,000 years. A bounty prized by invaders from the Greeks, Romans and Vandals to the Byzantines, Arabs and Normans, Sicily’s violently beautiful landscapes are haunted by a vibrant mix of cultures and her soil has always been fertile ground for the literary and artistic imagination. This compelling guide uncovers the island’s multi-faceted personality through those literary figures who have managed to get under her skin – from Pindar, Cicero and Aeschylus to Shakespeare and Cervantes; DH Lawrence, Coleridge and Oscar Wilde to Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Ezra Pound and Lawrence Durrell; as well as local writers who have defined the modern Italian novel – Giuseppe di Lampedusa and Leonardo Sciascia, among others. Through their words and lives we witness the beauty, pain and power of the Sicilian cultural landscape and discover how the potent mix of influences on the island’s society has been preserved forever in literature.
The book is now available on pre-order from Amazon
If you want to follow our further literary adventures, click here: https://www.facebook.com/andrewsuzanneedwards
I will definitely buy one and place in my living room library. I’ll show pics and words while enjoying dinners in front of Monte Pellegrino…?Giovanni
I’m catching up on other books on Sicily, but this would be a wonderful addition to my study! My parents came from Capo D’Orlando and left Sicily in 1916 to settle in Philadelphia. I am the last of 14 children of Eugenio and Marianne (Lipari) Zenone. From when I was a little boy, I heard Mom and Pop speak in Sicillian to me about their lives in Sicily. So, now, at the age of 75, I am gathering all family materials and information about Sicily in 3 ring binders. I have labeled the binders: “History Of Sicily”. I am having the time of my life doing this!! I have never visited Sicily but, the Lord willing, hope to do so soon, I love the Times of Sicily! Thank you for sharing our rich heritage! Thank you, dear Lord, for my heritage!
It’s wonderful to hear your story and about your collection. If you get to go, Sicily will more than live up to your expectations. Regards our book, it came out in the States last year and is widely available – you can order from any bookstore or Amazon if you use it. Hope you enjoy it. Good luck with your further readings and thank you for your comment
I am looking for information on Bronte. Both of my parents were born there. Do you have a recommendations on that area?
Thanks for your comment Eleanor. William Sharp, the Scottish writer was friends with the Duke of Bronte. He wrote two very interesting magazine pieces in the 1900s, Through Nelson’s Duchy and Sicilian Highlands
– they are worth tracking down.