We continue our exploration of poetry from the Italian City of Literature — Milano City of Literature.
Today, we will listen to the poem by Elisa Biagini, quale ala stanotte? (“Which Wing Will Cover Me Tonight?”).
Elisa Biagini is the author of several poetry collections, including L’Ospite (Einaudi, 2004), Fiato. parole permusica (D’If, 2006), Nel Bosco (Einaudi, 2007), The Guest in the Wood (Chelsea Editions, 2013 — awarded Best Translated Book 2014), Da una crepa (Einaudi, 2014), The Plant of Dreaming (Xenos Books, 2017), Depuis une fissure (Cadastre8zero, 2018; Prix Nunc 2018), Filamenti (Einaudi, 2020), Filaments (Le Taillis Pré, 2022), TRÅDAR (Bökforlaget Edda, 2023), Filaments (Saldonar, 2024), L’intravisto (Einaudi, 2024), and Ur en spricka (Lejd, 2025). Her poems have been translated into fifteen languages.
She has also translated works by contemporary American poets for journals, anthologies, and complete collections (Nuovi Poeti Americani, Einaudi, 2006), as well as a selection of Paul Celan’s poems. She teaches creative writing at NYU Florence and serves as the artistic director of the international poetry festival Voci Lontane, Voci Sorelle.
Let us listen to her reading the poem in her own voice: