International Conference: Grazia Deledda’s Waves

The international conference Grazia Deledda’s Waves: Networks, Memories and Legacies 100 Years After the Nobel Prize aims at fostering new research into the life and work of Grazia Deledda, with emphasis on her networks, memories and legacies in the literary realm and beyond.

The year 2026 marks the centenary of her Nobel Prize in Literature. Being the only Italian woman to have earned this recognition, Grazia Deledda holds a unique role in the history of world literature. Taking the centenary as an opportunity for renewed critical engagement, the conference approaches Grazia Deledda from a wide range of scholarly perspectives, tracing the international journeys of her writing while revisiting the landscapes, memories, human and more-than-human relations, ethical and philosophical concerns that animate her work and continue to speak to readers today.

Across two days, the conference features eight panels alongside special events that bring Deledda’s work into conversation with contemporary visual art and cinema. The full programme is available on the conference website: https://conferencegraziadeleddacambridge2026.wordpress.com/

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Special Events (free and open to the public)

Friday 25 September

Live Painting by Alessandro Sanna: Grazia Deledda’s Wonder Tales

The first day will conclude with a special live-painting performance by illustrator and author Alessandro Sanna, inspired by Grazia Deledda’s wonder tales. The performance will take place from 18:00 to 19:00 and will be followed by the Conference Dinner from 19:00 to 21:00.

Saturday 26 September

Film Screening: Anime galleggianti with director Maria Giménez Cavallo

The second day will conclude with a special screening of Maria Giménez Cavallo’s Anime galleggianti (2024) at 18:00. The screening will be followed by a conversation with the director and a drinks reception.

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Throughout both days, artist Tonka Uzu will also be creating a visual portrait of the conference.

Registration

Registration is available separately for each conference day, allowing participants to attend either one day or the full two-day programme. Participants attending both days should select both the Day 1 and Day 2 tickets when registering.

Ticket: £25 Day 1: Friday 25 September 2026
Registration includes attendance at all Day 1 panels, as well as tea/coffee breaks and lunch. Deadline for purchasing the tickets is 11th September.

Ticket: £25 Day 2: Saturday 26 September 2026
Registration includes attendance at all Day 2 panels, as well as tea/coffee breaks and lunch. Deadline for purchasing the tickets is 12th September.

Ticket: £53 Conference Dinner: Friday 25 September 2026
A three-course conference dinner will take place at Murray Edwards College from 19:00 to 21:00. Please note that the Conference Dinner requires a separate ticket. Places are limited, deadline for purchasing the dinner ticket is 11th September.

Post-conference event in London

The centenary celebrations will continue on Sunday, 27 September 2026 with a special screening of Quasi Grazia (2025) by Peter Marcias at the Regent Street Cinema in London. The screening is jointly organised by the Italian Section of the University of Cambridge, the Italian Cultural Institute in London and CinemaItaliaUK. Please note that this is a separate post-conference event and is not included in conference registration. For further information, please email [email protected].

Support

The international conference is supported by the Italian Section of the University of Cambridge, the Cambridge Intesa Sanpaolo Fund, the British Academy, the Italian Cultural Institute in London, CinemaItaliaUK, the Association for the Study of Modern Italy, Society for Italian Studies, Il Circolo, the Interdisciplinary Network for Nineteenth-Century Italian Studies Ottocentismi and the British-Italian Society.

Conference Organisers

Dr Elena Sottilotta
Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge
[email protected]

Dr Sara Delmedico
Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna
[email protected]

Conference enquiries: [email protected]