Poets' Page

Sicilianu

English

The goal of this page is to list the poets quoted in Chiù dâ Palora, provide basic biographical information about them, links to further information and links to their verses with the Trova na Palora tool.

In practice, that is not always possible. Sometimes the only available information is the poet's name. In such cases, I have listed the poet's name in the "need more information" section at the bottom of this page along with a request for information.

For a more comprehensive poetry resource, see the Sicilian poetry collection by Arthur Dieli.

poets quoted

Orlando Accetta

• A writer, poet and journalist from Pizzo Calabro, Orlando Accetta writes in both Italian and in his native Napitinu dialect. He has won several awards for his work and his vernacular poetry.
• see also:  Orlando Accetta home page

Roberto Alagna

• A tenor singer born to a family of Sicilian immigrants in France, Roberto Alagna has arranged and performed many traditional Sicilian songs in his repertoire.
• see also:  Roberto Alagna at Wikipedia

Vincenzo Ancona  (1915-2000)

• Originally from Castellammare del Golfo, Vincenzo Ancona emigrated to Brooklyn, NY at the age of 41. His poetry recounts the immigration experience, often in amusing ways.
• The volume Malidittu La Lingua / Damned Language (1990) contains his poetry and translations by G. Cipolla.
• see also:  Vincenzo Ancona by A. Dieli

Santi Bonaccorsi  (1914-1984)

• A journalist from Aci Catena, Santi Bonaccorsi engaged in cultural activities, throughout his life, even during his five years as a prisoner of war. His book Vo' jucari ccu mia? was published shortly after his unexpected death.
• see also:  Santi Bonaccorsi by A. Dieli

Gnazziu Buttitta  (1899-1997)

• Originally from Bagheria, Gnazziu Buttitta was one of the most influential Sicilian poets of the 20th century, writing poetry for recital and song and advocating for the working class.
• In his 1970 poem "Lingua e Dialettu," Buttitta issued a passionate call to preserve the Sicilian language.
• see also:  Gnazziu Buttitta by A. Dieli

Salvatore Camilleri  (1921-2021)

• Salvatore Camilleri was the leading exponent of Trinacism, a group of young Sicilian poets who operated in Catania in the period after World War Two.
• Instead of writing in the Italian language, S. Camilleri sought to "re-clean" Sicilian and bring it back to the dignity of a true and proper language, precious and not subjugated.
• vidi puru:  Salvatore Camilleri at Wikipedia

Piero Carbone

• By day, Piero Carbone teaches at public schools in Palermo. By night, he expresses his passion for the Sicilian language in poetry, some of which has been put to music and performed.
• Translations of his poetry are available in The Poet Sings For All / Lu pueta canta pi tutti (2014) by G. Cipolla.
• see also:  Piero Carbone's personal blog

Virna Chessari

• Virna Chessari, a poet from Palermo, teaches literature at the liceum. Through poetic inspiration, she pulls out all of her anguish and melancholy. And not just in her native language. She also succeeded in finding the melody in English to give voice to her inner world, to the missing words, in the bilingual collection: The Ulysses Butterfly / La Farfalla di Ulisse (2020).
• She is the author of the romance novel: I Finsword: L'alba dei Purosangue (2022), Favole per crescere (2022) and Viaggio nel mondo di Alda Merini (2024)
• She publishes her poems in English, in Italian and in Sicilian and she collaborates with diverse journals, prestigious magazines, blogs of cultural distribution and radio.

Vito Conigliaro

• A poet from Carini, Vito Conigliaro is the author of Su veni(r) 'nta 'stu pizzuddu 'i terra... (2014).
• see also:  Vito Conigliaro's YouTube channel

Nino De Vita

• The poetry of Nino De Vita depicts the lives of people in his native Marsala neighborhood of Cutusio. He relates the stories of their lives, creating narrative in poetic verse.
• Translations of his poetry are available in The Poetry of Nino De Vita (2014) by G. Cipolla.
• see also:  Nino De Vita at Wikipedia

Salvatore Di Marco

• The poetry of Salvatore Di Marco focuses inwardly on the human soul. In a quest for truth, he relates what he sees, hears and feels from the outside world and how it affects him.
• Translations of his poetry are available in L'aranciu amaru e àutri puisii / The Bitter Orange and Other Poems (2012) by G. Cipolla.

Rita Elia

• Rita Elia, poet from Termini Imerisi, has published 5 collections of poetry: Trovami la strada (1989), Sapuri d'acqua (1992), Canciu di stagiuni (1998), La vita...ciuri d'amuri (2006) and Puntu e capu (2010).
• As a poet, she believes that writing is good for your heart. And if it then reaches the heart of those who listen or read, you have met other souls and we become brothers, we mirror each other. We overcome barriers, we overcome our inner limits and we grow as a human being.
• As the founder and president of the cultural association Termini d'Arti, she promotes art and culture through conferences, exhibitions, conventions, seminars and shows, with particular attention to poetry, culture and Sicilian traditions.
• Since 2011, she has organised a Poetic Gathering at the regional level for World Poetry Day, where authors from every part of the region and beyond the Strait participate. And she edits and publishes anthologies of poetry from the annual poetic gatherings in Termini Imerese.
• see also:  Rita Elia web page

Maria Anna Manzella

• In her book, Lu Jornu ca lu Mulinazzu Chiancìu (2022), Maria Anna Manzella describes the injustice that peasants from Cinisi suffered when the nearby Palermo airport expropriated their land. She describes the protests and the young people of Cinisi who fought to save the land. She describes her family's emigration to the United States.
• And she tells the story of Cinisi in poetic verse, using the language spoken by the people of Cinisi, as they spoke it in the 1950s.
• Separately, she also publishes an award-winning line of Italian and English books for children under the name Mary Ann Vitale.

Nino Martoglio  (1870-1921)

• A writer, publisher, and theater producer from Catania, Nino Martoglio published D'Artagnan, a weekly Sicilian-language literary magazine, from 1889 to 1904. Later, he founded a theatre company, where he collaborated with Luigi Pirandello, and he directed a few movies.
• Translations of his poetry are available in The Poetry of Nino Martoglio (1993) by G. Cipolla.
• see also:  Nino Martoglio by A. Dieli

Lina La Mattina

• Lina La Mattina's poetry imaginatively describes everyday subjects. A native of Palermo, she has also written about Sicilian society and wrote a moving tribute to Gnazziu Buttitta.
• see also:  Lina La Mattina by A. Dieli

Giovanni Meli  (1740-1815)

• Born in Palermo, Giovanni Meli began his career as a doctor. After discovering the poetic worth of the Sicilian language, he began using it in all of his literary works, ultimately becoming one of the greatest Sicilian poets.
• Translations of his poetry are available in the volumes The Poetry of Giovanni Meli (2015) and Don Chisciotti and Sanciu Panza (2002) by G. Cipolla.
• see also:  Giovanni Meli by A. Dieli

Giuseppe Pitrè  (1841-1916)

• A medical doctor from Palermo, Giuseppe Pitrè collected material for the Biblioteca delle tradizioni popolari siciliane, a 25 volume collection of Sicilian folklore, while speaking with the humble people that he treated.
• Note:  The enumeration of Pitrè's Canti popolari siciliani differs between the volumes published in 1871 and the volumes republished in 1891. The enumeration used here is the one from the volumes republished in 1891.
• see also:  Giuseppe Pitrè at Wikipedia

Joseph F. Privitera  (1914-2007)

• Born in New York City to Sicilian parents, Joseph F. Privitera grew up speaking both Sicilian and English. To preserve and promote the Sicilian language, he wrote Beginner's Sicilian (1998) and Sicilian Dictionary and Phrasebook (2003).
• He also translated his own Sicilian language poetry into English and published it in the volume Canti Siciliani (2004).

Antonino Provenzano

• Originally from Castellammare del Golfo, Antonino Provenzano is the Vice President of Arba Sicula.
• He has published three books of poetry: Vinissi... / I'd Love to Come... (1995), Tornu / The Return (2009) and Pirati supra la nivi / Footprints in the Snow (2016). All three contain translations by G. Cipolla.
• see also:  Antonino Provenzano by A. Dieli

Carlo Puleo

• An artist and sculptor from Bagheria, Carlo Puleo has written several volumes of poetry and prose.
• see also:  Carlo Puleo by A. Dieli

Domenico Tempio  (1750-1821)

• A poet from Catania, Domenico Tempio, was a major poet in his time. His poetry remained popular in Catania and interest in his work revived in second half of the 20th century.
• Translations of his poetry are available in Domenico Tempio: Poems and Fables (2010) by G. Summerfield.
• see also:  Domenico Tempio by A. Dieli

Antonio Veneziano  (1543-1593)

• During the 16th century, the Italian language became the preferred written language in Sicily, but Sicilian remained the language spoken by the people. Antonio Veneziano defied that trend and wrote in his native Sicilian language.
• Translations of his poetry are available in Ninety Love Octaves (2006) by G. Cipolla.
• see also:  Antonio Veneziano by A. Dieli

Maria Nivea Zagarella

• Maria Nivea Zagarella taught Latin and Italian at a high school near her native Francofonte (SR). She writes poetry in both Sicilian that engages the reader, discusses timely events and captures her emotions.
• Translations of her poetry are available in The Poetry of Maria Nivea Zagarella (2017) by G. Cipolla.
• see also:  Maria Nivea Zagarella by L. Bonaffini