Alessandro Leogrande, Italian writer and intellectual, dies at 40

Alessandro Leogrande, born in Taranto in 1977 and passing away in Rome in 2017 at the age of 40, died unexpectedly. Renowned for his straightforward approach to pressing social matters, he addressed topics such as the Southern Question, environmental crises in Taranto, migration, and labor exploitation (caporalato). Influenced by figures like Pier Paolo Pasolini, Antonio Gramsci, Carlo Levi, and Albert Camus, Leogrande penned works including 'Uomini e caporali' (Mondadori 2008; Feltrinelli 2016), 'Il naufragio' (Feltrinelli 2011), 'Fumo sulla città' (Fandango 2013), and 'La frontiera' (Feltrinelli 2015). He contributed to various publications, including 'Il Corriere del Mezzogiorno' and 'Internazionale'. In his last year, he focused on the PIIIL Cultura strategic plan in Puglia, emphasizing regional identity. His final editorial for 'Corriere del Mezzogiorno' on 14 November 2017 urged the international presentation of Puglia's forgotten heritage.