Ligurian:
# Roberto Benso (1939)

Nasciuo à Carreuxo, laureou in Sciense Econòmiche à l’Universcitæ di Studdi de Zena, e Offiçiâ di Arpin, o Benso o l’à travaggiou inti settoî Informatica e Organizzaçion Açiendale, scin a-i livelli direçionali. Comme scrittô, o s’é interessou sorvetutto de istöia, arte, paisaggio agraio, de tære de Zena e de l’Otrazovo. Autô de unna quanteña de pubricaçioin in volumme e pöcassæ settanta sazzi e monografie, pe ben ben de anni o l’à diretto a revista «In Novitate». Do 2001 o l’é stæto tra i vinçitoî do premmio letteräio Ignazio Buffa, stæto bandio da l’Academia Urbense de Oâ; do 2013 gh’é stæto assegnou o «Premio Stampa» do Commun de Tasciaieu; do 2014 o l’é resultou tra i finalisti do «Premio Nazionale di Narrativa Alpina – Alpini sempre». Tra o 2015 e o 2016 o l’à realizzou i documentäi filmæ San Marino, Insediamento dei Capitani Reggenti e La battaglia di Novi del 15 agosto 1799. E poexie do Benso, scrite inta parlâ de Carreuxo, son accheuggeite inte E föe do ferguò (2023) e son stæte inspiæ da l’idea de contribuî de sarvâ a memöia e a coltua de unna communitæ, che a-a giornâ d’ancheu a l’é tòsto scentâ; a-o de là de l’evidente interesse etnografico, no de ræo o Benso, con desgheugge o remescello di seu regòrdi, o l’arriva à unna vertadea intenscitæ lirica, da no trascuâ. Ne pâ che e poexie do Benso seggian lì à demostrâ comme fiña inta mente ciù struttuâ da-a consuetudine co-a sciensa, co-a tecnica, e co-o pensceo raçionale, ch’o l’à informou tutta a seu vitta, o l’arreste delongo un ligammo con l’infançia e co-e reixe, ch’o no se peu mai mette areo da unna banda, ma à un çerto momento o domanda de vegnî feua, a-o scoverto.

[1] Inta tradiçion do paise, o canto da çivettoa o l’annonçiava a mòrte de unna persoña (nòtta de l’autô).

English translation:
# Roberto Benso (1939)

Benso was born in Carrosio. He is a graduate of the University of Genoa with a degree in economics and an officer in the Alpini, and he worked in information technology and business organization, up to management levels. As a writer, he has dealt mainly with history, art, and the agrarian landscape of Genoa and the Oltregiovo region. He has authored some forty volumes and about seventy essays and monographs. For many years he edited the magazine “In Novitate”. In 2001 he was among the winners of the Ignazio Buffa literary prize, announced by the Urbense Academy of Ovada; in 2013 he was awarded the “Press Prize” of the City of Tassarolo; in 2014 he was among the finalists of the “Premio Nazionale di Narrativa Alpina – Alpini sempre”. Between 2015 and 2016 he authored the documentary films San Marino, Insediamento dei Capitani Reggenti and La battaglia di Novi del 15 agosto 1799. Benso’s poems, written in the dialect of Carrosio, are collected in E föe do ferguò (2023) and were inspired by the idea of helping to save the memory and culture of a community, which nowadays has almost disappeared. Beyond the obvious ethnographic interest, not infrequently Benso, unraveling the ball of his memories, arrives at an authentic lyrical intensity, which is noteworthy. It seems to us that his poems stand to show how even in the mind most structured by familiarity with science, with technology, and with rational thought – which has informed his whole life – there always remains a link with childhood and with roots, which can never be totally ignored, but at a certain moment demands to emerge, to come out into the open.

[1] According to village lore, the owl’s song announces the death of a person (note by the author).