Alfonso Berardinelli

is one of Italy’s leading literary critics and essayists. His fields of interest are modern poetry, literary teorie, history of literary criticism, and the relations between intellectuals and power. Together with P. Bellocchio, he has founded and edited Diario, a leading literary review. From 1983 to 1995 he has taught Contemporary Literature at Venice university, before resigning to protest the closed nature of Italy’s cultural system. He currently contributes to Il Sole 24 Ore, Avvenire and Il Corriere della sera. He has authored many books, including L’eroe che pensa. Disavventure dell’impegno (1997) and Poesia non poesia (2008) for Einaudi; L’ABC del mondo contemporaneo (minimum fax, 2004); Casi critici. Dal postmoderno alla mutazione (Quodlibet, 2007). Marsilio published his books La forma del saggio. Definizione e attualità di un genere letterario (2002), Non incoraggiate il romanzo (2011). Che intellettuale sei? (2011) is published by nottetempo.