Gian Luigi Nespoli

Gian Luigi Nespoli died after a serious illness in Sanremo (Italy) on July 22, 2007.

Born in Varese, in the region of Lombardy (north of Italy), Nespoli has published in Italy, Germany and Cuba some twenty books of Poetry and stories, in addition to other works still unpublished. However, only in Cuba -after his transfer to the Caribbean island towards the beginning of the '90- he has had some recognitions for his poetic work: among others, in 1994 it was granted to him, in Santiago de Cuba, the important prize of poetry dedicated to the great Cuban poet Jose Maria Heredia.

In 1991 Nespoli organized, on behalf of a left-wing publishing house of Milan, Edizioni Rapporti Sociali, an anthology of poems from prison, Bisogna armare d'acciaio i canti del nostro tempo ("We must arm the songs of our time with steel"), a title that reproduces a famous verse by Ho Chi Minh. Also, in collaboration with Irina Bajini, realized the Italian edition of the book of poems "The islands and the fireflies" of the Cuban poet Jesus Cos Causse (1994). He has also translated into Italian other Cuban poets like Efraín Nadereau Maceo and Carlos Valerino García.

In Italy, Gian Luigi Nespoli had a certain notoriety, especially in the areas of the non-institutional left, in the 1970s and 1980s, when -as a political activist and editor of various political and literary magazines, including Controinformazione - wrote verses about the struggles of the workers' and revolutionary movements of those years. He also composed verses for the struggles of the political prisoners of the left, and some of his poems were reproduced on the walls of the cells of certain Italian prisons.

Gian Luigi Nespoli (1936–2007) was an Italian born Italo-Cuban poet and writer. He was also a member of the communist party in Italy and Cuba.