Three Timeless Short Stories by Grazia Deledda: A Cry in the Night, The Wild Boar Piglet, In the King’s Prison

by Grazia Deledda, Kevan Houser (Translator)

These enjoyable short stories from a collection published in 1912 are the perfect jumping-off point for anyone curious about Grazia Deledda, a renowned voice in Italian—and world—literature. The three stories can easily be read in a single sitting and present a rewarding introduction to Deledda’s themes and style. And for those who’ve already read some of her other work, this modest collection is an ideal way to broaden your familiarity with her writing. This is a brand-new translation (done in 2020) offered free with the intention of introducing new readers to Deledda, perhaps inspiring some to seek out more of her work (including my translation of her significant novel Elias Portolu). A Cry in the Night is tinged with macabre and tragic elements, a Sardinian ghost story, if you will. The Wild Boar Piglet tells the tale of a baby pig in part from his own viewpoint, as his brief life intersects with that of two very different little boys. Finally, In the King’s Prison is an odd collection of compelling anecdotes illustrating the characters of various men of differing backgrounds who share a prison dormitory during a turbulent time in Sardinia’s history.

50 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 12, 2020

About the author

Grazia Maria Cosima Damiana Deledda was an Italian writer who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1926 "for her idealistically inspired writings which with plastic clarity picture the life on her native island [i.e. Sardinia] and with depth and sympathy deal with human problems in general". She was the first Italian woman to receive the prize, and only the second woman in general after Selma Lagerlöf was awarded hers in 1909.