Giosuè Calaciura, born in Palermo in 1960, is a journalist and a writer. He has published 14 books since his first novel, Malacarne (Baldini&Castoldi, 1998), and draws inspiration from the reality of his homeland, Sicily. His work tackles subjects such as poverty, migration and organised crime, with tremendous literary ambition and great poetic freedom. With his unique style, he portrays Italian society and probes the human soul. His books have enjoyed both popular and critical success: Sgobbo (Baldini&Castoldi, 2002) was shortlisted for the Campiello Prize, whilst Borgo Vecchio (Sellerio), winner of the Premio Volponi in Italy, ranked eighth on the Livres Hebdo booksellers’ list. A finalist for the 2019 Femina Étranger Prize, the 2020 Méditerranée Étranger Prize and the 2020 Libraires en Seine Prize, he was awarded the 2019 Marco Polo Venice Prize. His novel I Am Jesus won the prestigious 2021 Stresa Prize in Italy. In 2024, Giosuè Calaciura received the Bouvier Prize for Pantelleria. His latest novel, L’Ammiraglio, was published in Italy in 2026 by Sellerio, and received an exceptional reception from both the public and critics.
His work has been translated into French, German and Spanish.
« There is the best of Garcia Marquez in the canaille and tender prose […] of Giosuè Calaciura, where magical realism remains muted. Something also of the unbridled fantasy of his Sardinian compatriot Milena Agus, revealed by Mal de pierres. » Delphine Peras, L’Express
« Giosuè Calaciura is a hidden treasure of contemporary Italian litterature. It’s about time he gets widely recognized. » Lise Wajeman, Mediapart
« The language of Giosuè Calaciura is unique, objectively unique: it is a very beautiful language, dense, poetic, baroque, crossed by constant metaphorical inventions; one does not forget it, if one has heard it once […] and one recognizes it immediately as soon as it rises again. » Jerome Ferrari, writer and winner of Goncourt Prize
Documentary on Giosuè Calaciura