Quick Facts
Biography
Beppe Costa (born Concetto Costa, on (1941-08-25)25 August 1941, Catania, Italy) is an Italian poet, novelist and publisher.
Biography
The beginning
Born into a poor family grows, however, in an environment rich in books. He published the first volume of poems in 1970(Una poltrona comoda, Giuseppe Di Maria editore), characterized, like the others that follow, by the theme of love and nonconformity. Beppe Costa Beppe wrote and published two tour guides, first at local level, Catania, Guida ai monumenti, and the second at regional level, Sicilia, Guida ai monumenti, both with Muglia publisher. Translated two books of the playwright Fernando Arrabal. In 1978 he met the poet Dario Bellezza which will begin with poetry readings and book presentations all around Italy, using everywhere is available: squares, bars, libraries, theaters.
Successes
He reaches fame with the book it:Romanzo Siciliano, that treat the autobiographical story of an intellectual Sicilian in his struggle and his complaint the south and the Mafia.
In USA the novel is reviewed by World Literature Today.
Beppe Costa collaborate until 1985 with articles on Giornale del Sud and in Siciliani both directed by Giuseppe Fava. He publishes in Giornale di Sicilia interviews to Alberto Moravia, Enzo Jannacci, Léopold Sédar Senghor, Leo Ferré. He also participates to the radio program of poetry by it:RadioRai named Zenit & Nadir. In 1985 he finally left Sicily. He public other collections of poems and receive the Akesineide prize for Fatto d'amore and Canto d'amore.
In 1989 wins the Alfonso Gatto prize with the collection Impaginato per affetto. The preface is by it:Giacinto Spagnoletti, who, first, recognized the artistic talent of Pier Paolo Pasolini, positively appreciates the poetry of Beppe Costa, in which beautifully expresses the pain of living, the need to love and the difficulty of harmonizing this with the reality of another world. The book will be presented in different school, The book will be presented in different schools in common with the same Spagnoletti and, in Rome, from Giorgio Bassani.
His poems were read by actors like it:Lina Bernardi, Arnoldo Foà, Viviana Piccolo e Valeria Di Francesco and set to music, among others, by da Giovanni Renzo, Alessandra Celletti, Nicola Alesini, Giuliano Perticara, Mario Pettenati, and Gianluca Attanasio. Fascinated by the musical innovations, Beppe Costa recorded a cd with Giovanni Renzo. This experience led him quickly to make visual poetry with photos and music videos mostly of René Aubry and Alessandra Celletti. He inaugurate, with Beatrice Niccolai, in 2008, the exhibition Malaspinarte.
In 2008 the encounter with the poet and composer Mario Salis contributes to greater synergy to the Italian edition of the Teranova Festival, who was born in France and founded by fr: Mario Salis under the leadership of Fernando Arrabal, has already seen the participation of Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Patrice Leconte and of the same Arrabal.
An event of enormous importance in March 2010 for the cycle Beppe Costa meetings, Fernando Arrabal in Rome, guest of spent two days with the Poets From Space, a group of poets from different Italian regions, chosen by Fabio Barcellandi.
Came out in June 2010, for Multimedia Publishing (Casa della Poesia from Baronissi – Salerno), his new collection of poems it:Anche ora che la luna, with a letter from it:Adele Cambria and it:Lia Levi.
From 2011 began the partnership with the poet Stefania Battistella creating the new reading/show: "di me, di altri, ancora"
Publishing activity
In 1976 he founded the publishing house Pellicanolibri, in promoting his work as editor of artists bashful, awkward or marginalized. He rediscovers and publishes the stories of Luigi Capuana: Si conta e si racconta Pellicanolibri, 1989 and a volume that Federico De Roberto dedicated to his city, Catania. He also publishes the translated texts of the contemporary French philosopher Gaston Bachelard From a meeting with Jodorowsky, the idea of publishing the book on the Panic Movement, a surrealist movement founded by Alejandro Jodorowsky with Fernando Arrabal and Roland Topor. In 1980 he translated and published the first work of the writer Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, Manifesto subnormal. It will be also editor of Gisèle Halimi, Luce d'Eramo, Alberto Moravia, Dario Bellezza, it:Goliarda Sapienza, Arnoldo Foà, it:Angelo Maria Ripellino. Since 1982, with the poet Dario Bellezza gives life to the series Inediti rari e diversi in order to report the authors excluded from the Italian literary society, like Anna Maria Ortese.
From 1992 it:Pellicanolibri becomes a great library on the edge of Rome. Here will reach authors from all parts of Italy and not only.
Beppe Costa and Bacchelli law
In 1986 manages together with it:Adele Cambria to make apply for the first time the it:"Legge Bacchelli in favor of it:Anna Maria Ortese.
Shows and Tours
Anche ora che la luna
From January 2008, begins the tour of poetry and music it:Anche ora che la luna. Initially, in Salento with the composer Giovanni Renzo at the piano, after alone and performing throughout Italy in places like the Literary Cafe in Rome and the Civic Theatre in Sassari. This tour will continue up to 2011.
Ho ancora voglia di sognare
In 2009, began a collaboration with the French singer fr:Eva Lopez, creating the show ho ancora voglia di sognare, interpreting poems in their context and in the encounter with the songs of Leo Ferré, Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens.
Di me, di altri, ancora
In 2009, gets under way the new show "di me, di altri, ancora", touring around Italy(taken from the eponymous book forthcoming). In 2012 the tour di me, di altri, ancora will restart with the poet Stefania Battistella.
Beppe, il poeta che amava le donne
The director Ricky Farina produces the film "Beppe, il poeta che amava le donne" (Quixote production, 2009).
Ottobre in Poesia
In 2009 he is the guest of honor at Ottobre in Poesia in Sassari, and in 2010 participates in numerous meetings with students from different schools of Sassari. At the end of the Festival Ottobre in Poesia, at the Civic Theatre in Sassari receives the poetics key of the city.
From 2011 takes its name the section unreleased of the International Literary Prize of the city of Sassari, an award that has the patronage of UNESCO, sponsored by the Presidency of the Italian Republic, the Italian Ministry for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Italian Minister of Youth. During the 2011 edition of Ottobre in Poesia, Beppe Costa participated in several recitals together with Paul Polansky and Jack Hirschman, the latter, fond of his poetry, decided to translate them in English and inserted in the anthology Poets Revolutionary Brigade, forthcoming.
eVenti 2012
On the occasion of 20 years since the birth of the library Pellicanolibri, begin (from February to June) a series of meetings that will see, among the guests, personalities such as Arnoldo Foa, it:Adele Cambria, Paul Polansky, Jack Hirschman, Viorel Boldis, Alessandra Celletti, Dave Lordan, Andrea Garbin, Fabio Barcellandi, Don Backy and many others.
Our days
In 2012 is invited at the 13th, then will be invited to the 14th and 15th, edition of the Nissan Festival which takes place in Maghar, (Israel) founded by the poet Naim Araidi.
In occasion of "Maggio dei libri" it is presented to the Sassari's old market, the new book "Gli alberi non scrivono poesie", written with Silvano Agosti and Leonardo Onida. During the same period in Bosa and Sassari the new show: "Quanto Costa una vita", with Rita Casiddu and Salvatore Delogu.
Prize
- Ragusa, libro siciliano dell'anno Prize, 1984
- Akesineide Prize 1987
- Alfonso Gatto Prize, 1990
- Città di Ascoli Prize, 1992
- International poetry prize "Il Delfino d'Argento", Nettuno, 1992
- Joppolo Prize, 1997
- Ciac per la poesia Prize (Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome), 2008
- Iceberg News per...parole... Prize, Teranova Festival (Villa Medici, Rome), 2008
- Career Award at "La Befana del Poliziotto 2009" Orione Teatre (Roma)
- Premio Internazionale Città di Ostia: career award, Roma 2012.
- Career Award at Nettuno PhotoFestival, Nettuno 2014
Works
Guides
- Catania, Guida ai monumenti, (with Luccjo Cammarata), Muglia editions
- Sicilia, Guida ai monumenti, (with Luccjo Cammarata), Muglia editions
Anthologies
- Documento Sicilia, Giuseppe Di Maria editions
- Enotrio, a cura di Dario Micacchi, Jaca Book edizioni, '88
- Almanacco di Galleria, ed. Salvatore Sciascia, year I n. 2, '91
- Poesia '90, edited by Giorgio Weiss and it:Riccardo Reim, ed. '90
- Poesia '90, edited by Giorgio Weiss and it:Riccardo Reim, ed. '91
- ContrAppunti perVersi, 1990, Pellicanolibri
- Il Policordo, Rivista, edited by it:Dante Maffia year VI n 2/3
- ConVersiAmo, 1991, Pellicanolibri
- Ponte degli angeli,1986, Scripta Manent
- Calpestare l'oblio edited by Davide Nota and Fabio Orecchini, 2010, Argo
- Acqua privata? no grazie, edited by Marco Cinque, 2011, Ilmiolibro
- Nisan – International Poetry Festival – Maghar, edited by Naim Araidi, 2012
- Heartfire - second revolutionary poets brigade, a cura di Jack Hirschman e Agneta Falk, 2013, Kallatumba Press, S. Francisco, ISBN 9780578127354
- AA. VV. Manifest'Azioni dal Sottosuolo, a cura di A. Garbin, Seam Edizioni, 2014, ISBN 9788881795185
- Poems for the Hazara, multilingual poetry anthology, 2014, ISBN 9780983770862
- Jackissimo, antologia poetica dedicata a Jack Hirschman, a cura di A. Bava, Seam Edizioni, 2014, ISBN 9788881795222
- AA. VV. SignorNò, poesie e scritti contro la guerra, a cura di M. Cinque e P. Rushton, Seam Edizioni, 2015, ISBN 9788881795314
- AA. VV. Refugees, 15. Berlin International Literature Festival, 2015, Verlag Vorwerk, ISBN 978-3-940384-78-2
- AA. VV. Woher ich nicht zurückkehren werde, Berliner Anthologie, Verlag Vorwerk 8, ISBN 978-3-940384-79-9
- Raimondi Valeria; Costa Beppe; Hirschman Jack: Poetre II. Rrjedhë dallge që shtyn-L'onda dentro che sospinge, Gilgamesh Edizioni, 2016 ISBN 9788868671341
Prose and Poetry
- Una poltrona comoda, Vincenzo di Maria editor, 1970
- Un po' d'amore, Muglia editions, 1975
- Metamorfosi di un concetto astratto in due tempi con accompagnamento di ottavino, (with a foreword by Dario Bellezza), Pellicanolibri, 1982
- it:Romanzo Siciliano, Pellicanolibri, 1984
- Canto d'amore (with illustrations by Ivana Buschini), Pellicanolibri, 1986
- Fatto d'amore (with foreword by it:Dante Maffia), Pellicanolibri, 1987
- Impaginato per affetto (with foreword by it:Giacinto Spagnoletti), Pellicanolibri, 1989
- Il male felice, Pellicanolibri, 1992
- Due o tre cose che so di lei (with foreword by it:Luce d'Eramo), Pellicanolibri, 1995
- D'amore e d'altro (edited by it:Luce d'Eramo), Pellicanolibri, 1996
- Poesie per chi non sa fare altro, Pellicanolibri, 2002
- Anche ora che la luna, music CD with the composer Giovanni Renzo, 2009
- it:Anche ora che la luna (with letter of it:Adele Cambria), collections of poems, Multimedia editions [1] 2010, ISBN 978-88-86203-55-5
- Rosso, poesie d'amore e di rivolta edited by Andrea Garbin, with foreword by Mauro Macario, VoloPress Edizioni, 2012
- La terra (non è) il cielo!, Gilgamesh Edizioni 2014, ISBN 9788868670078
- Dell'amore e d'altre abitudini, con Stefania Battistella, Pellicanolibri Edizioni 2014, ISBN 9788885881808
- Gli alberi non scrivono poesie, con Silvano Agosti e Leonardo Onida, Seam Edizioni 2015, ISBN 9788881795338
- L'ultima nuvola, Pellicano 2015, ISBN 9788894117554
- Rosso, poesie d'amore e di rivolta, in appendice "Lettera d'amore non spedita", Pellicano Associazione Culturale, 2016. ISBN 978-88-996151-1-6