Wounds into Words

On 10 November, our college welcomed Maria Grazia Calandrone, the renowned Italian poet and writer, who guided us into the world of poetry and showed how history, wounds, and reality shape a writer’s voice. She reminded us that literature begins with curiosity—listening to others without prejudice and observing the world with openness.

Calandrone shared the powerful story of her origins, marked by the injustice faced by her biological mother, a woman forced into marriage and denied her identity. She also spoke of the affection of her adoptive mother, to whom she dedicated a book written during the Covid-19 pandemic. These experiences revealed how deeply personal history can become a source of artistic truth.

She explained that writing requires immaginazione informata: creativity supported by study, research, and the desire to “know too much” in order to portray characters faithfully. Poetry, she said, arises from real wounds, from loss, and from the need to give voice to what is often hidden. Her visit left us with a renewed appreciation for literature.