Giammarco di Biase on Poetry, the Sacred, and the Fire of Creation

Italian poet Giammarco di Biase (Foggia, 1993) published his debut collection 'S'aggrinza un astro' in 2023 with independent publisher Ensemble. His verses have appeared in La Repubblica and Avamposto. In an interview, di Biase discusses the genesis of his work, which emerged from burning an earlier manuscript titled 'Solo le bestie.' He emphasizes the importance of study over talent, citing Nanni Moretti's 'Palombella rossa' as an influence. Di Biase's poetry is divided into sections: 'Comparse' (intimate/family), 'Protagonisti' (universal/sacred, akin to haiku), and 'Controfigure' (violent, secular resistance to God). He notes that after a year and a half, his poetry became more desertified and metrically formal, drawing him closer to the divine through study of the Bible and Quran. His influences include poets Mario Benedetti, Roberto Carifi, Cees Nooteboom, Paul Celan, Georg Trakl, and Arsenij Tarkovskij, as well as filmmakers Béla Tarr and Michelangelo Antonioni. Nature plays a key role, informed by his studies in archaeobotany. Di Biase describes his poetry as a 'mixed fire,' both mortal and vital, born from hidden conflagrations.