Sisters in Crime Launch 20 June 2008

8pm Friday June 20, 2008; Launch of Deceptions, Deceits and Desires Murder and Mayhem in Italian Crime Fiction

edited by Mirna Cicioni & Nicoletta Di Ciolla (University of Delaware Press)

By Lilit Thwaites, Associate fellow, La Trobe University (former Head of Spanish Program)

Italian crime fiction (known as gialli in Italy) has developed from a popular genre to a fully-fledged literary genre. This collection of 12 essays is the first one in English to deal exclusively with Italian crime fiction—from well-known writers such as Umberto Eco, Leonardo Sciascia and Andrea Camilleri, the creator of Inspector Montalbano, as well as newer works by younger writers.

They bring together four of the most significant strands of Italian gialli: the way gialli develop or subvert the tradition and conventions of the crime genre; regional specificity within Italian crime fiction; gialli by and about women, lesbians and gay men; and representations of Italy in crime novels by English-speaking writers.

Lilit Thwaites will talk to co-editor Mirna Cicioni about all this and much more. Mirna Cicioni is honorary research fellow in Italian Studies at the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics of Monash University. Her publications include essays on Italian Feminism and post-World War II Italian Jewish writers, Women in Italian Culture (co-edited with Nicole Prunster) and Primo Levi: Bridges of Knowledge. She has been a member of Sisters in Crime since the early 1990s. Her co-editor, Nicoletta Di Ciolla, is senior lecturer and head of Italian at the Manchester Metropolitan University and unfortunately can’t be here.

Complimentary glass of champagne.

Followed by a debate:

“The female of the species is deadlier than the male”

Sisters in Crime (for the positive)

Vicki Petraitis (true crime writer—latest book, Crime Scene Investigations)

& Sue Turnbull (Convenor and crime columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald)

Vs

Brothers-in-Law (for the negative)

Jarad Henry (crime author—latest book Blood Sunset)

& Robert Gott (crime author—latest book Amongst The Dead)

May include other speakers TBC

Note new venue: Bell’s Hotel, 157 Moray St., South Melbourne (cnr Coventry). Mel 57, G1. Try 112 or St Kilda Road trams. Info: http://www.bellshotel.com.au/

$5/$10 (non-members) 10 % discount for members from the Chronicles Bookshop stall.

If you would like to join Sisters in Crime for dinner from 6.30pm, ring Bell’s Hotel on 9690 4511 and ask to be included in the booking.


Further info: Ring Carmel Shute on 0412 569 356