Newly translated into English, Giuseppe Berto’s 1973 novel Oh, Serafina! is a whimsical fable of ecology, lunacy, and love. One of the first environmentally-conscious works of Italian literature, it questions the destructive effects of industrial capitalism, the many forms spirituality might take, and the ways our society defines madness.
 

GIUSEPPE BERTO (1914–1978) was born in a small town in Veneto, Italy, and went on to author numerous screenplays, short stories, and novels, including The Sky Is Red, written during his time as a P. O. W. in Texas. A controversial author in postwar Italy, Berto was nevertheless the recipient of the Viareggio Prize and the Campiello Prize, and his work has drawn more critical attention in recent years. 

GREGORY CONTI has over twenty-five published translations, including works by Emilio Lussu, Rosetta Loy, and Paolo Rumiz. His most recent translations include two books by Stefano Mancuso: The Incredible Journey of Plants and The Nation of Plants. He has lived in Perugia, Italy, since 1985.

Author's Note, Giuseppe Berto
Translator's Note, Gregory Conti
Foreword, Matteo Gilebbi
Oh, Serafina!
About the Author
About the Translator