Il Gattopardo at Fifty (1958-2008)

Il Gattopardo (The Leopard) is the first and only novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (1896-1957), published posthumously in 1958.

The story of the dying world of a Sicilian aristocratic family after the unification of Italy was the first Italian best-seller, became a classic of 20th century European literature and inspired thousands of readers around the world.

In 1963, Luchino Visconti sealed the success of the novel with an award-winning film, starring Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale, and Alain Delon.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of this iconic novel, the Italian Institute of Culture, in collaboration with Dr Davide Messina (University of Edinburgh), has organised an international conference which will be generously hosted by the National Library of Scotland.

On the day of the conference, the original manuscript will be exhibited in the Library. Among the distinguished speakers from UK, Italy, and Spain, will be the adopted son of Lampedusa, the musicologist Gioacchino Lanza Tomasi, and the historian David Gilmour, author of a seminal biography of the writer.

In the evening, the Filmhouse will host a special screening of "Il Gattopardo" by LuchinoVisconti. http://www.filmhousecinema.com/

This event is free, but booking is essential: rsvp.iicedimburgo@esteri.it