Book presentation in Italian: Lidia Menapace - Un pensiero in movimento

Throughout the different seasons of her long and intense life, Lidia Menapace always combined her scholarly work with civic passion and political activism. A feminist, pacifist, environmentalist and, above all, a partisan (“you are a partisan for life”), she joined the Resistance at a very young age and, after the war, became a member of the Christian Democratic Party. A progressive Catholic and staunch supporter of the reforms brought about by the Second Vatican Council, with the advent of 1968 she embraced the “Marxist choice” and joined the Manifesto group. Thus began a tireless and multifaceted career as a journalist, essayist and lecturer in Italy and abroad, and she renewed her assiduous political commitment, albeit from radically different positions, both in civil society and within institutions. Hers was a “mind in motion”, a constant development and dialectical comparison of ideas and perspectives with an ever-curious, never dogmatic gaze and a sharp and lively intelligence.

The selection of writings presented here is based on an extensive survey of various types of contributions published over a period of sixty years: essays in magazines, newspaper articles, books, interviews, prefaces and reviews. They are divided into specific thematic areas: the Resistance and the war, coexistence in South Tyrol, the break with the Christian Democrats, literary criticism, gender difference, non-violent action, and the revolutionary perspective.

A rich collection that paints a portrait of a courageous, ironic and unconventional woman, as well as an unorthodox spirit open to diversity, capable of connecting, often in surprising ways, critical thinking to everyday life and the “opportunities” it offers.