Attilio Bertolucci (18 November 1911 – 14 June 2000)[1] was an Italian poet and writer. He was the father of film directorsBernardo andGiuseppe Bertolucci.
He began to write poems very early. In 1928, he collaborated with theGazzetta di Parma, where his friendCesare Zavattini was editor-in-chief. The following year, Bertolucci published his first poetical collection,Sirio.
In 1931, he started studying law at theUniversity of Parma, which however he left soon afterwards in favour of artistic and literary studies. In the following year, his workFuochi di Novembre gained him the praise of Italian poets such asEugenio Montale.
In 1951, he moved toRome. His marriage to Ninetta Giovanardi had given him two sons,Bernardo (1941–2018) andGiuseppe (1947–2012), both future film directors. In 1951, he also publishedLa capanna indiana and won theViareggio Prize for literature. In this period, he cemented a friendship withPier Paolo Pasolini.
Viaggio d'inverno ("Winter Voyage") of1971 is one of Bertolucci's finest works. This work saw a noteworthy change of style in Bertolucci's poetry: while the first works were, according toFranco Fortini, characterized by "the choice of a humble language for pastoral situations",Viaggio d'inverno was more complex and was marked by an unsureness of feelings. From 1975, together withEnzo Siciliano andAlberto Moravia, he directed the literary reviewNuovi Argomenti. He won another Viareggio Prize for the narrative poemCamera da letto (1984–1988).
His last work wasLa lucertola di Casarola (1997), a collection of works from his youth and other unpublished poems.
