Antonio Tabucchi's life was marked by a profound love for Portugal, which he first discovered in the 1960s during his studies at the Sorbonne. This fascination led him to take an introductory course in Portuguese, and he eventually became an expert, critic, and translator of the works of Fernando Pessoa.
Tabucchi's academic career was marked by his teaching of Portuguese language and literature at the University of Siena, Italy. He was a prolific writer, and his books and essays have been translated into 18 countries. With his wife, Maria José de Lancastre, he translated many works by Pessoa into Italian and wrote a book of essays and a comedy about the writer.
Throughout his life, Tabucchi was recognized for his literary achievements, receiving several prestigious awards, including the French prize "Médicis étranger" for Indian Nocturne and the premio Campiello. He was also mentioned as a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature, a feat he never achieved.
Born in Pisa, Tabucchi grew up in Vecchiano, a nearby village, where he developed a love for literature and travel. During his university years, he traveled extensively throughout Europe, following in the footsteps of the authors he had encountered in his uncle's library.
One of the most significant influences on his writing life was the discovery of a poem by Fernando Pessoa, Álvaro de Campos, in a bookstall near the Gare de Lyon in Paris. This encounter sparked a deep appreciation for the city of Lisbon and the country of Portugal as a whole.
Tabucchi's academic career was marked by his specialization at the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa in the 1970s and his appointment as a teacher of Portuguese Language and Literature in Bologna in 1973. He wrote his first novel, Piazza d'Italia, in 1975, which explored the theme of history from the losers' point of view.
In 1978, he was appointed to the University of Genoa, where he published several novels, including Il piccolo naviglio, Il gioco del rovescio e altri racconti, and Donna di porto Pim. His first important novel, Indian Nocturne, was published in 1984 and became the basis of a 1989 film directed by Alain Corneau.
Throughout his life, Tabucchi remained deeply connected to his love for Portugal, its culture, and its literature. His work continues to be celebrated for its unique blend of Italian and Portuguese influences, and his legacy as a writer and academic continues to inspire new generations of readers and writers.
