Italo Svevo

Italo Svevo (1861-1928) was the pen name of Ettore Schmitz, an Italian writer and businessman best known for his modernist novel Zeno's Conscience. Born in Trieste, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Svevo was raised in a multicultural environment that influenced his literary work. Although he wrote in Italian, Svevo's Jewish heritage and the multilingual nature of Trieste contributed to his unique narrative style. Svevo's literary career was initially met with little success, and he worked in his family's business for many years. It was not until later in life, with the encouragement of his friend and mentor James Joyce, that Svevo's work gained recognition. Zeno's Conscience, originally published as La Coscienza di Zeno in 1923, is now considered a cornerstone of modernist literature and a profound exploration of human psychology and self-deception.