Stefano Benni

Stefano Benni (12 August 1947 – 9 September 2025) was an Italian satirical writer, poet and journalist. His books have been translated into around 20 foreign languages and scored notable commercial success. 2.5 million copies of his books have been sold in Italy.

Life and career Benni wrote many successful novels and anthologies, among which are Bar Sport, Elianto, Terra!, La compagnia dei celestini, Baol, Comici spaventati guerrieri, Saltatempo, Margherita Dolcevita and Il bar sotto il mare. He also worked with the weekly magazines L'espresso and Panorama, and with the satirical Cuore and Tango, the monthly magazines Linus and Il Mago (where he began and published in installments part of Bar Sport), and the newspapers La Repubblica and il manifesto.

He also wrote television sketches for Beppe Grillo at the beginning of Grillo's career, and one of these sketches – called "Pietro Longo=P2" – caused the Psdi to ask the RAI commission to remove Grillo from RAI TV; their request was denied.

In 1989, with Umberto Angelucci, Benni directed the film Musica per vecchi animali, adapted from his book Comici spaventati guerrieri, with the actors Dario Fo, Paolo Rossi, and Viola Simoncioni. Two years before that he was also the screenwriter of another film, Topo Galileo by Francesco Laudadio, starring his friend Beppe Grillo and with music by Fabrizio De André and Mauro Pagani.

With the jazz musician Umberto Petrin, he wrote Misterioso. Viaggio nel silenzio di Thelonius Monk.

His novels contain, within imaginary worlds and situations, a strong satire of Italian society over the last few decades. His writing style includes many puns, neologisms and parodies of other literary styles.

In January and February 2010, he presented the event Bennac, a meeting between himself and the French writer Daniel Pennac.

Benni died in Bologna on 9 September 2025 after a long illness, at the age of 78.