On the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of Primo Levi’s birth, this conference illuminates the diversity of his oeuvre. Through the interpretative tools offered by intertextuality, it highlights how his works are imbued with sacred and profane references. The contributions to this event underline the hypotexts Primo Levi re-elaborated in his writings.

Programme

9.00-9.30 Registration and welcome

9.30-10.30

Keynotes: Alberto Cavaglion (Università degli Studi di Firenze) and Paola Valabrega (Independent scholar), La voce altrui. Preghiere, parodie, storie incomprensibili.

10.30-11-00 Coffee break

11.00- 12.45

Panel 1 ‘Intertextuality: Science, Philosophy, Theology’ (chair: Pierpaolo Antonello)

Robert Gordon (Cambridge), Primo Levi: Magic, Mystery, Wonder

Stefano Bellin (University College, London), Primo Levi and “The Courage of Truth”

Christopher Hamilton (King’s College London), Seen in a Negative Light: Primo Levi and the Concept of the Sacred

Lunch 12.45- 14.30

14.30- 15.45

Panel 2 ‘On the Sacred and the Profane: Re-elaborating Dante’ (chair: Mara Josi)

Vittorio Montemaggi (King’s College London), The Voice of God?: Theological Reflections on Levi’s Dante

Judith Woolf (University of York), The Language of Auschwitz and the Language of Hell: Primo Levi's Dantean Subtexts.

15.45-16.15 Tea break

16.15-18.00

Panel 3 ‘Levi’s Hypotexts, Levi as Hypotext’ (chair: Nicole Maniero)

Valentina Geri (University of Notre Dame), Shakespeare's Presence in the Works of Primo Levi

Martina Mengoni (University of Pisa). Primo Levi and Joseph Conrad: Intertextuality or Literary Model?

Guido Furci (University of Durham), “Indirect witnessing” between Primo Levi, Aharon Appelfeld, and Philip Roth

18:00 Concluding remarks

Event supported by The Italianist conference fund, Cambridge Italian section and the School of Arts and Humanities Cambridge.

For further information please contact Mara (mj502@cam.ac.uk) and Nicole (nm615@cam.ac.uk).