Claudio Magris

Claudio Magris (; born 10 April 1939) is an Italian scholar, translator and writer. He was a senator for Friuli-Venezia Giulia from 1994 to 1996.

Life Magris graduated from the University of Turin, where he studied German studies, and has been a professor of modern German literature at the University of Trieste since 1978.

His breakthrough was Danubio (published as Danube in English) (1986), which is a magnum opus. In this book (said by the author to be a "drowned novel"), Magris tracks the course of the Danube from its sources to the sea, tracing the influences of Christendom and Islam on the formation of central Europe. Microcosmi (Microcosms in English) focuses on the Italian-Istrian borderlands.

Decorations and awards

1980: Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class 1987: Bagutta Prize for Danubio 1990: French Award for Best Foreign Book (essays) for Danubio 1992: Humboldt Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation 2000: Würth Prize for European Literature 2001: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic 2001: Erasmus Prize 2001: Leipzig Book Prize for European Understanding (Grand Prize) 2001: Member of the Academy of Arts Berlin 2004: Prince of Asturias Award for Literature 2009: Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels 2015: Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 2016: Franz Kafka Prize 2019: Thomas Mann Prize

Honorary doctorates 1991: University of Strasbourg 2011: University of Barcelona 2014: University of Murcia 2014: West University of Timisoara 2017: Free University of Berlin 2018: University of Regensburg

Memberships 2001: Academy of the Arts, Berlin, Section Literatur Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung, Darmstadt Danubio (1986; translated as Danube: A Sentimental Journey from the Source to the Black Sea, ) Stadelmann (1988) Un altro mare (1991; translated as A Different Sea, ) Microcosmi (1997; translated as Microcosms, ). Alla cieca (2006; translated as Blindly, ) Non luogo a procedere (2015; translated as Blameless, ) Tiempo curvo a Krems (2019)