Italy’s diplomatic network in China pays a tribute to Umberto Eco. The Italian Embassy in Beijing, in partnership with the Italian Institute of Culture (IIC), has decided to award a prize in honour of the writer, semiologist and philosopher who died recently at 84. The announcement was made by the Italian Ambassador, Ettore Sequi, at the annual meeting with Chinese Italianists. “We are celebrating the Italian language and culture on a day that is very sad for Italy as it has recently lost one of its greatest contemporary intellectuals, Umberto Eco,” said Ambassador Sequi. In remembrance of the author of “The Name of the Rose” and “Foucault’s Pendulum” the Embassy, together with the IIC, will “promote a commemorative event and an annual prize in his honour”.
Italy’s diplomatic network in China pays a tribute to Umberto Eco
Today’s meeting with the Italianists was held shortly after the publication in China of Eco’s 2010 novel “The Prague Cemetery”, translated into Chinese by Italianist Federico Wen. “Chinese scholars of Italian,” said Stefania Stafutti, the IIC director, “are very sorry that the author will not be able to be present at the release of the book and have proposed to commemorate him according to the Chinese tradition by having it delivered to him by the wind.” The Association of Chinese Italianists was established in 1987 and last year, together with the Italian institutions in China, it participated in the celebrations for the 45 years of diplomatic relations between Italy and China.