Beppe Severgnini

Beppe Severgnini is a prominent Italian journalist, essayist, and cultural commentator known for his analysis of Italian society, politics, and identity. Severgnini joined Corriere della Sera, Italy's largest newspaper, as an op-ed columnist and editor. He also served as editor-in-chief of its weekly magazine 7 and created Italians, the longest-running blog in Italian media. A former correspondent for The Economist, Severgnini writes in both Italian and English, drawing on his experience living in London, Washington, and New York. He became a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times.

Severgnini began his career at Il Giornale under editor Indro Montanelli, becoming the paper's London correspondent and later working as a special correspondent in Russia, China, and several Eastern European countries. As a foreign correspondent, he was also posted in Moscow and Washington, D.C., and covered the Middle East. His columns and books offer multilayered insights into the sociology of people, communities, and nations. Severgnini was recognized in Brussels as European Journalist of the Year.

He is the author of 20 books, including the American bestsellers "Ciao, America! An Italian Discovers the U.S." and "La Bella Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian Mind." His book "Inglesi," translated as "An Italian in Britain," was a bestseller in the United Kingdom. "Italian Lessons: 50 Things We Know About Life Now" explores Italian identity and its evolution in the modern era. One of his books, "Signori, si cambia: In viaggio sui treni della vita," was adapted into the stage play "Life is a Journey," in which Severgnini also stars.

Severgnini appears regularly on radio and television programs on RAI, La7, NPR, and the BBC, and has hosted talk shows on SKY TG24 and RAI. He presents the television show "The Grass is Greener" on RAI TRE, comparing Italy with other European countries and America. In academia, Severgnini has been a research fellow and writer in residence at MIT, an Isaiah Berlin Visiting Scholar at Oxford University, and a visiting fellow at Ca' Foscari Venezia. He has taught at universities including Milan-Bocconi, Middlebury College, and the University of Pavia, and has served as a guest lecturer at Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of California at Berkeley, Trinity College, and Cambridge University.

In recognition of his contributions to journalism and cultural diplomacy, Severgnini was made an Officer of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II, and the president of Italy conferred on him the title of Commendatore in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. His writing is characterized by humor, clarity, and keen observations, making complex cultural and social phenomena accessible to a broad audience.