Valentino Zeichen

Valentino Zeichen, sometimes incorrectly spelled Zaichen, (born c. 1938), is an Italian poet and writer.

Biography

Zeichen's origins are somewhat obscure, and his year of birth is dubious. In German language the word "Zeichen" means "sign", and has been suggested that his true name would be Giuseppe Mario Moses, an almost certainly Jewish surname. Zeichen, however, denies this theory. [http://www.lastampalavoro.org/cmstp/rubriche/girata.asp?ID_blog=54&ID_articolo=113&ID_sezione=81]

Born in Rijeka (then called "Fiume"), the son of an Italian-speaking Dalmatian gardener, Zeichen moved with all his family to Parma as a refugee, since his native land was annexed by Yugoslavia after the end of World War II. In 1950 they moved to Rome, where Zeichen currently still lives in a self-made house next to Via Flaminia.

He began to write poems at the age of 18, influenced by surrealist authors like Breton and Prévert. His first work was published in 1969 on the literary review "Nuova Corrente". Zeichen's first novel, "Tana per tutti", was released in 1983.

Zeichen's poetry has been praised for his quick catch on the reader, and the subtle sense of humour underlining it. He is considered among the finests poets today in Europe. A literary award entitled to him, the "Premio Zeichen", is held every December in Rome: Zeichen himself is the only member of the jury.

Bibliography

*"Area di rigore" (1974)
*"Ricreazione" (1979)
*"Tana per tutti" (1983, novel)
*"Museo interiore" (1987)
*"Gibilterra" (1991)
*"Metafisica Tascabile" (1997)
*"Ogni cosa a ogni cosa ha detto addio" (2000)
*"Matrigna" (2002, novel)
*"Passeggiate romane" (2004)
*"Poesie. 1963-2003" (2004)
*"Neomarziale" (2006)

External links

* [http://www.girodivite.it/antenati/xx3sec/zeichen/lapoesia.htm A Zeichen's poem (in Italian)]