Katharine Mitchell Libri

Focusing on the contributions of three prominent late 19th-century Italian women authors, this book explores their domestic fiction and journalism that resonated with an expanding female audience. It highlights how their writing reflected and influenced the evolving roles of women in society during that era. Through their unique perspectives, these writers not only entertained but also engaged with pressing social issues, paving the way for future generations of female voices in literature.

Focusing on Italian women, this monograph explores their roles as both protagonists and consumers across various artistic mediums, including literature, theatre, opera, and film. It delves into personal writings, journalism, and canonical texts to analyze female performance and the diverse responses of women, highlighting their significant contributions and perspectives in the cultural landscape.

In nineteenth-century Italy, a woman’s place was considered to be in the domestic sphere, devoted to family life. But during the Risorgimento and the years following Unification, economic, political and social changes enabled women progressively to engage in pursuits that had previously been the exclusive domain of men. This book traces some of the steps of this shift in cultural perception. Covering the period from the Unification of Italy in 1861 to the First World War, the volume brings together new perspectives on women, culture and gender in ten original interdisciplinary chapters that explore a variety of subjects, including motherhood and spinsterhood, women’s relationship with the Italian language, emigration and brigantaggio, patriotism and travel writing, acting and theatre management, film-making, and political ideas and female solidarity.