Albert Russo

Albert Russo (born 26 February 1943) is a Belgian bilingual (English and French) author of novels, short stories, essays and poems, as well as a photographer. His main themes are fighting racism of all stripes, and defending individual and collective rights, including ethnic, religious and gender rights.
Early life and education
Son of an Italian Sephardic father, born in Rhodes, and of a British mother who grew up in Rhodesia, he lived with his family in Congo, Ruanda-Urundi, Rhodesia and traveled to South Africa during 17 years. After graduating from high school in Bujumbura, at the Athénée Interracial, learning four languages, French, English, Dutch and German, with a knowledge of vernacular Swahili, he pursues his studies at New York University, getting a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, in 1964, minoring in psychology and economics. This is when he started writing his poems in English. In 1965 he spent a year in Heidelberg and obtained a degree in German culture and literature at Collegium Palatinum. That same year he settled in Milan (Italy) where he continued to write while working with his father in the family import-export firm.
Literary career
His first novel, La Pointe du Diable, written in French, and dealing with apartheid, is published in Brussels, (Belgium) in 1973 and the following year he wins both the Prix Colette in Cannes (France) and the Prix de la Liberté in Paris. In 1975 he goes back to New York where he teaches languages to adults, meanwhile he pursues his writing mainly in English and publishes poems and short stories, contributing, both as writer and translator to various magazines, such as Confrontation, The Literary Review, The Poet, Atlas World Review, and Philadelphia Poets. He also translates film scripts for children's documentaries at UNICEF. In 1978 he went back to Europe and decided to live in Paris.
Translated in a dozen languages, Albert Russo has written more than 25 works, including novels, books of short stories and of poetry. Africa is one of his major themes. Mixed Blood (published first by Domhan Books in New York, then by Imago Press in Arizona) garnered the Best Fiction Award in 1985 by Volcano Review in California. Both Mixed Blood and Eclipse over lake Tanganyika were nominated for the 2001 e-books award at the Frankfurt International Book Fair. Among his other novels are Le Cap des Illusions (formerly entitled La Pointe du Diable) republished by Editions du Griot in Paris, France, his humorous Zapinette series (in both English and French), his large volume of short stories, fables and essays The Crowded World of Solitude, vol 1, started in New York in the late 1970s, as well as the bilingual books of poetry Futureyes, and the large volume of poems (40 years of writing) The Crowded World of Solitude, vol 2. He has also produced about 50 books of photography with and without poetic captions.
All his works, along with some manuscripts and literary letters by various authors, are to be found at the Archives and Museum of Belgian Literature in Brussels (Belgium). Mixed Blood has been the subject of the Capes degree at the Sorbonne University in Paris in the English department of literature. The Zapinette Vidéo series was also taught at the Catholic University of Paris to foreign students.
During the 1980s, having in common their Congolese experience, their love of and their interest for Africa, he befriends the Italian artist and philosopher Joseph Pace, founder in Paris of Filtranisme, a neo-existential philosophical and artistic current. In the 2000s he also befriended the poet, artist and photographer Adam Donaldson Powell, with whom he authored in 2009 Gaytude, a volume of poetry encompassing the gay experience on the five continents with photography by Albert Russo.
As a photographer he has garnered several prizes in the US, especially from National Indie-Excellence (winner and finalist), photo pursuit (formerly photo challenge), Gallery Photografica (silver medal). Some of his photos have been exhibited at the Musée de l'Elysée in Lausanne (Switzerland).
In 1996 he is a juror at the Neustadt International Prize for Literature, which often leads to the Nobel Prize for Literature. Some of the Neustadt candidates, laureates or jurors having obtained the Nobel Prize are: Elias Canetti, Wole Soyinka, José Saramago, Nadine Gordimer, Eugenio Montale, Claude Simon.
Albert Russo has had seven books translated into Italian, L'Amante di mio padre (2001), Sangue Misto (2008), Shalom Tower Syndrome (2008), Sotto il Picco de Diavolo (2012), Io, Hans, figlio di nazisti (2013) and Zapinette a Parigi (2013).
Bilingual writer, he freely discusses topics such as anti-racism, individual and collective freedoms, and LGBT freedoms.
2019 UNICEF Award for the body of his poetry
2020 Artavita certificate of excellence for his photos
Selected bibliography
Novels (in English and in French)
Eclipse over Lake Tanganyika, Domhan Books, USA, 2000, then Imago Press, 2007
Mixed Blood, Domhan Books, USA, 2000, then Imago Press, USA, 2007
Shalom Tower Syndrome, Xlibris, USA, 2007, then Paraguas, 2010
Zany Zapinette New York, Domhan Books, USA, 2000
Oh Zaperetta, Xlibris, USA, 2005
The Benevolent American in the Heart of Darkness, Xlibris, USA, 2005
The Black Ancestor, Imago Press, USA, 2009
Zulu Zapy wins the Rainbow Nation, Cyberwit, India 2010; Poetry Printery, South Africa, 2010
And there was David-Kanza, Imago Press, USA, 2011
Gosh Zapinette (4 of the Series of 7 Books), Imago Press, USA 2012
Mother beloved, Mamica mia Createspace/Amazon, USA 2013
Ode to Mamica mia, Mother beloved, Createspace/Amazon, USA 2013
ZAPINETTE’S BIBLE ODYSSEY continues in Japan, Mexico and the North Pole, series, KDP Amazon 2020– Award-Winning Finalist in the 2020 International Book Awards, in both the humor and fiction & novella categories
MÉMOIRES D’UN FILS DE NAZIS, roman, KDP Amazon 2020
ZAPINNÈT A PARI, romen en fransè fonétik, KDP Amazon 2020
CURIOSITY / CABINET / DE CURIOSITÉS, photobook, KDP Amazon 2020
Livre collectif: DES ITALIENS AU CONGO, AUX ITALIENS DU CONGO, l’Harmattan, 2020, avec étude de Sang Mêlé d’Albert Russo
HOLYLAND ZAPINETTE, translated into Hebrew זאפי בארץ הקודש, Saar Publishing, Tel Aviv, 2019, KDP Amazon edition, 2020
SPEAK TO ME MOTHER BELOVED, large book of poems and photos, l’Aleph, Sweden, 2019
CALL ME CHAMELEON, a memoir of prose, poetry and photos, 1,113 page-long e-book, l’Aleph, Sweden, 2019,- 2019 Book Excellence Award Finalist
UNDER THE SHIRTTAILS OF ALBERT RUSSO, biography by Adam Donaldson Powell, l’Aleph, Sweden, 2017
GOSH SZAPINETTE! The first ever series of Global Humor, Cyberwit.net, 2016 – 2018 Book Excellence Award Honoree
La série de 6 Zapinette et son Tonton homo, Editions Textes Gais, Paris, 2016 & 2015
A RAINBOW NAMED TEL AVIV, photobook, KDP Amazon, 2015
L’AMANT DE MON PÈRE – JOURNAL PARISIEN, Editions Textes Gais, Paris, 2015
L’AMANT DE MON PÈRE – JOURNAL ROMAIN, Editions Textes Gais, Paris, 2015
PRINCES AND GODS, novel, l’Aleph, Sweden, 2014
EUR-AFRICAN EXILES, novel, l’Aleph, Sweden, 2014
ADOPTED BY AN AMERICAN HOMOSEXUAL IN THE BELGIAN CONGO, l’Aleph, Sweden, 2014
LÉODINE OF THE BELGIAN CONGO, novel, l’Aleph, Sweden, 2014
SANDRO’S NOTEBOOK – EUR-AFRICAN EXILES Movie by Albert Russo, 90', Wildsound Festival, Canada, 2014
זאפי בארץ – Holyland Zapinette translated into Hebrew by Isabella Arad .20 .2019, Saar publishing, Tel Aviv – הקודש
Novels (in Italian)
L’amante di mio padre, Edizioni Libreria Croce, 2001
Sangue misto, Roma, Coniglio Editore, 2008
Sangue misto, Roma, Elliot Editore, 2016
Shalom tower sindrome, Edizioni Libreria Croce, 2008
Sotto il picco del diavolo, Roma, Edizioni Libreria Croce, 2012
Io, Hanz, figlio di nazisti, Roma, Edizioni Libreria Croce, 2013
Dopo il gay pride a Parigi, Zapinette viene rapita a New York, Edizioni Libreria Croce 2013
Zapinette la parigina, comics illustrato da Soizick Jaffre, Edizioni Libreria Croce
Zapinette, la spaghettona nel paese di Mandela, Edizioni Libreria Croce
Zapy ZZZen in estremo Oriente Edizioni Libreria Croce
Zapinette Burqa-burquette va in Terra Santa, Edizioni Libreria Croce
Poetry books (English and French)
Futureyes / Dans la nuit bleu-fauve, Le Nouvel Athanor, Paris, 1992
Painting the Tower of Babel, New Hope International, GB, 1996.
Poetry and Peanuts, Cherrybite Publications, GB, 1997
The Crowded World of Solitude, Volume 2, the collected poems, Xlibris, USA, 2005 (40 years of writing)
Gaytude, a poetic journey around the world, Albert Russo and Adam Donaldson Powell, Xlibris, USA, 2009
Boundaries of Exile / Conditions of Hope, Albert Russo and Martin Tucker, Confrontation Press (Long Island University, NY), 2009
Embers under my skin, Imago Press (USA), 2012
Short stories, essays and literary criticism (English and French)
Venitian Threshold, Bone & Flesh Publications, USA, 1995.
The Age of the pearl: the collected works of Albert Russo, vol. 1, Domhan Books, USA, 2000
Unmasking hearts: the collected works of Albert Russo, vol. 2, Domhan Books, USA, 2000
Beyond the great water: the collected works of Albert Russo, vol. 3, Domhan Books, USA, 2000
The Crowded World of Solitude, Volume 1, the collected stories and essays, Xlibris, USA, 2005 (40 years of writing).
Eclats de malachite, Editions Pierre Deméyère, Brussels, 1971.
Mosaïque Newyorkaise, Editions de l’Athanor, Parigi, 1975.
Le Règne du Caméléon, Imago Press (USA), 2012
Crystals in a shock wave (the works of Albert Russo, spanning 40 years), Blurb Inc., USA, 2012 and CreateSpace, USA, 2012
Photography books (selection)
Body glorious, Xlibris, USA, 2006.
Italia Nostra, Xlibris, USA, 2007.
Norway to Spitzberg, Blurb Inc., USA, 2008
Senegal Live, Blurb Inc., USA, 2010
Mermaids of the Baltic Sea, Blurb Inc., USA, 2011
Seven living Splendors: Venice, Rome, Paris, New York, Tel Aviv, Singapore and Jerusalem, Createspace/Amazon, USA, 2013
Oriental gems, Blurb Inc., USA, 2012
Ode to Mamica mia, Mother beloved, Createspace/Amazon, USA, 2013
RomaDiva, Xlibris, USA, 2004
AfricaSoul, Xlibris, USA, 2005
Chinese Puzzle chinois, Xlibris, USA, 2005
In France, Xlibris, USA, 2005
Sri Lanka / Serendib, Xlibris, USA, 2005
Mexicana, Xlibris, USA, 2006
Body glorious, Xlibris, USA, 2006.
Albert Russo: A Poetic Biography, Volumes 1 & 2, Xlibris, USA, 2006
Sardinia, Xlibris, USA, 2006
Rainbow nature, Xlibris, USA, 2006
Saint-Malo with love, Xlibris, USA, 2006
Brussels ride, Xlibris, USA, 2006
Granada, Costa del Sol & Ronda, Xlibris, USA, 2006
Pasion de Espana, Xlibris, USA, 2007
Quirks/Eclats, Xlibris, USA, 2007
Vienese kaleidoscope, Blurb Inc., USA, 2007
City of wonder / city of lovers, New York / Paris, Xlibris, USA, 2007
New York at heart, Xlibris, USA, 2007
Eilat, Petra & Tel Aviv, Blurb Inc., USA, 2008
Sympjony in Hands major, Blurb Inc., USA, 2010
Mermaids of the Baltic, Blurb Inc., USA, 2010
Expressive Romans, Blurb Inc., USA, 2010
China Forever, Blurb Inc., USA, 2010
Garden Delights, Blurb Inc., USA, 2010
Animal Kinship, Blurb Inc., USA, 2010
Celestial Blues/Chants du ciel, Blurb Inc., USA, 2010
France: Art, Humour & Nature, Blurb Inc., USA, 2010
In the air, on the ground, and on the water, Blurb Inc., USA, 2010
Rainbow Paris/ Arc-en-ciel, Blurb Inc., USA 2011
Israel/Jordan/Palestine, Blurb Inc., USA, 2011
Living Objects, Blurb Inc., USA, 2011
Au Naturel / born naked, Createspace/Amazon, USA, 2012
Fotoripples / 1, 2 & 3, Createspace/Amazon, USA, 2012
A myriad tales, vol.1,2 3, Createspace/Amazon, USA, 2012
Crystals in a shock wave, KDP/Amazon + Blurb Inc, USA, 2 editions, 2012
Embers under my skin, KDP/Amazon + Blurb Inc, 2 editions, USA, 2012
Venice, empress of the Seas, Burb Inc. 2012
Israel & Palestine, Blurb Inc, USA 2012
Mother beloved, Mamica mia, Createspace/Amazon, USA, 2013
Rome, my sibling, my empress, Createspace/Amazon, USA, 2013
Seven living Splendors, Createspace/Amazon, USA, 2013
Articles
Les Nouvelles littéraires, Art, de Philippe Guilhon, p. 11, no. 2330, 28 May 1972, Paris
Le Soir, Georges Sion (de l’Académie Royale), p. 34, 3 May 1972, Brussels
La Dépêche de Lubumbashi, 26 January 1972, Zaïre
Jeune Afrique, p. 64, N.602, 22 July 1972, Paris
Culture Française, p. 47, art. de Robert Cornevin, 1973, Paris
Nice-Matin, l’annonce du Prix Colette, 9 October 1974, Nice
Les Nouvelles littéraires, p. 14, art. de Robert Cornevin, 8 April 1974, Paris
La Libre Belgique, 30 January 1974, Bruxelles
Revue Zaïre, art. de Kanika Mwana Ngombo, p. 47, N.300, 6 May 1974, Kinshasa
Tribune Juive, d’Odette Lang, p. 21, 7 July 1974, Paris
La vie ouvrière, Ma/June 1974, art. de Serge Zeyons, Paris
L’Afrique littéraire et artistique, art. de J.B., p. 60, 1974, Paris
Bingo, revue africaine, art. de S. Nkamgnia, p. 62, no. 255, April 1975, Paris
La Renaissance Le Bessin, art. de J. Fauchon, p. 6, 14 September 1979, Bayeux, France
Libération, art. de Michel Cressole, p. 23, 6 September 1990, Paris
L’Express, 10 September 1990, Paris
Le Figaro Littéraire, art. de Régis St. Gilles, 8 October 1990, Paris
La Liberté-dimanche, 25 November 1990, Lausanne, Switzerland
Le Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb, 1990, Algiers, Algeria
McNally, Bill. Amelia, Albert Russo's African Connection, pp. 52–55, 1991, Bakersfield, California, USA
Club du Livre France Loisirs / Belgique Loisirs, p. 5, no. 26, 1992, Brussels and Paris
Mensuel Littéraire et Poétique, art. de Pierre Halen, p. 25, no. 203, May 1992, Brussels
Antonio Veneziani, L’amante di mio padre, recensione, 2001
Gianfranco Franchi, Sangue Misto, recensione, Lankelot, 2008
Gianfranco Franchi, Shalom Tower Sindrome, recensione, Lankelot, 2008
Leggere Tutti, art. di Silvia Barbarotta, p. 50, Roma, no. 75, March 2013
References
External links
Profile on Poets and Writers
His blog at the Times of Israel
Profile on www.authorsden.com
Profile on www.viewbug.com
Profile on www.artavita.com
Profile on Twitter
Profile on Facebook
1943 births
People from Kamina
Belgian male poets
Living people
New York University Stern School of Business alumni