An overview of Gianni Rodari's books in translation around the world (2000-2020)

Abstract

As the fame of Gianni Rodari reached a new height in 2020 with the celebration of his centennial, this overview of his legacy focuses on the most recent publication of Rodari’s works in translation around the world beginning in 2000. His versatility as a writer for children is evident in his entire body of works, his poetry, and his prose. Rodari’s translations hardly reflect on the diversity of the genres he had employed in his writings. The outcome of my investigation is the following: Rodari’s playfulness in writing, especially in poetry, has found recognition outside of Italy only in Russia. Other countries seem to prefer Rodari’s prose — his short stories or novels, especially his earlier works such as Cipollino and Telephone Tales. More research has to be done to keep Rodari’s popularity thriving, but, as these preliminary findings demonstrate, a renewed interest in the literary legacy of this beloved Italian children’s writer is widely spread nowadays, thus promising new poetic translations.

Keywords: Gianni Rodari, Children’s literature, translation, Italy