Identità locale, regionale e nazionale nella narrativa gialla italiana

Abstract

The question of local, regional and national identity is clearly evident in Italian detective novels of the last two decades, that is, since this question became a staple in social and political discourses. In Italy identity is strictly linked to social matters (class, gender, generational differences) as well as geography; in other words, it is a question of language. This essay considers three writers of detective novels who identify with different geographical areas and write for different audiences: Loriano Macchiavelli, whose stories are set in Bologna and aimed at a low-brow public; Andrea Camilleri, whose stories are set in Sicily and are written for a low-to-middle-brow public; and finally Giulio Angioni whose novels are set in Sardinia and aimed at a high-brow public. The analysis of their works will provide a basis for tracing the treatment of the theme of identity in Italian detective novels.