Giuseppe Conte was born in Imperia, Italy and studied at the University of Milan earning a degree in literature in1968. Poetry books include L’Ultimo aprile bianco (The Last White April) and L’Oceano e il Ragazzo. Le stagioni, (The Seasons) won the Montale Prize. The collection titledDialogo del poeta e del messaggero (Dialogue between the Poet and the Messenger), includes the poetry suiteDemocrazia (Democracy) which touches on themes and tones of civil poetry. Ferite e rifioriture (Wounds and reflorescences), which won the Viareggio Prize. Novels include Il terzo ufficiale (The Third Officer In Command) which won the Hemingway Prize, and La casa delle onde(The House of the Waves), about the wreck of Shelley in 1822, and selected by the Strega Prize. Other writings include L’adultera (The Adulteress), a book of essays on travel and myth which won the Manzoni Prize, two opera librettos, three plays, two monumental anthologies, La lirica d’Occidente (Western Lyric Poetry) and La poesia del mondo (The poetry of the World) and a travel book, Terre del mito (Lands of myth). He currently lives in San Remo.