Fausta Cialente: Modernist writer and Strega Prize winner rediscovered

Fausta Cialente (Cagliari, 1898 – Pangbourne, 1994) was an Italian modernist author whose diverse experiences greatly shaped her literary creations. In 1976, she received the prestigious Strega Prize for 'Le quattro ragazze Wieselberger', a portrayal of her family in early 20th-century Trieste. Born to Alfredo Cialente and Elsa Wieselberger, she spent her childhood in Italy. After marrying Enrico Terni in 1921, she relocated to Alexandria, Egypt, where she encountered the works of Kafka and Joyce. Her novel 'Natalia', published in 1927, garnered the Premio dei Dieci but faced censorship under the fascist regime. Cialente also hosted an anti-fascist program on Radio Cairo and contributed to various publications. Her prominent works include 'Cortile a Cleopatra' (1953) and 'Ballata levantina' (1960). In the 1980s, she settled in England, translating works by Hawthorne and James.