CARANNANTE IRMA MARIA GRAZIA

Irma Maria Grazia Carannante is an Italian scholar and lecturer specializing in Romanian language and literature at the University of Naples “L’Orientale”. Her main research focuses on several interconnected fields: 1. Romanian Avant-Garde and European Modernism Carannante has explored the works of key figures of the Romanian avant-garde, such as Tristan Tzara, Benjamin Fondane, Urmuz, and Gherasim Luca. She has edited and translated fundamental texts, including Avant Dada by Tzara and Vedute by Fondane, helping to introduce these authors to the Italian public. Her studies examine experimental language and the role of the avant-garde in critiquing human nature and constructing an alternative modernity. 2. Exile, Identity, and Language Another central area of her research concerns the experience of exile and linguistic displacement, with particular attention to Emil Cioran, Eugène Ionesco, and Norman Manea. In essays such as Limba fără locuire and Non si abita un paese, si abita una lingua (“One does not inhabit a country, one inhabits a language”), Carannante explores the relationship between mother tongue, identity, and trauma, analyzing how exile influences writing and self-perception. 3. Theatre and Historical Memory In her monograph Eugène Ionesco tra storia e memoria (Criterion, 2020), Carannante investigates the historical and ideological roots of Ionesco's theatre, highlighting the connection between his theatrical production and the memory of the Romanian and French historical contexts. This study is part of a broader reflection on the role of theatre as a space for processing collective and individual memory. 4. Literary Translation and Intercultural Dialogue Carannante has carried out extensive translation work, bringing into Italian the works of Romanian authors such as Petre Solomon, Gilda Vălcan, and Matei Vișniec. Through these translations, she has promoted intercultural dialogue and the dissemination of contemporary Romanian literature in Italy, contributing to mutual understanding between the two cultures. 5. Comparative Studies and Literary Criticism Her work also extends to comparisons between authors from different cultural traditions, as in the essay Dalla malinconia alla noia (“From Melancholy to Boredom”), which compares Emil Cioran and Fernando Pessoa. Moreover, she has analyzed themes such as the feminine in the Romanian avant-garde and the representation of trauma in the works of authors like Herta Müller and Norman Manea. Overall Irma Carannante’s research stands out for its interdisciplinary approach and its attention to the cultural and linguistic dynamics that permeate literary works, with a particular focus on Romanian literature and its dialogue with other European traditions.