William Weaver

William Weaver. An eminent American translator, he was instrumental in introducing major works of modern Italian literature to the English-speaking world. His precise and elegant translations of authors like Italo Calvino, Umberto Eco, and Primo Levi became the definitive English versions, earning him widespread critical acclaim. Weaver's career spanned over five decades, during which he also served as a music critic and contributed to publications like The New York Times.

Early life and education

Born in Washington, D.C., Weaver developed an early interest in languages and opera. He attended Princeton University, where he studied under noted scholars before his education was interrupted by service in the United States Army during World War II. Stationed in Italy as an ambulance driver with the American Field Service, he developed a profound connection with the country, its culture, and its language. After the war, he returned to complete his degree at Princeton University and began contributing to literary magazines, laying the foundation for his future career.

Career as a translator

Weaver settled permanently in Italy in the late 1940s, initially working as a music critic for the Rome Daily American and broadcasting for Radio Audizioni Italiane. His translation career began almost by accident when a publisher asked him to translate a short story by Italo Calvino. This led to a prolific partnership, and Weaver soon became the primary English translator for a generation of postwar Italian writers. He also held academic positions, teaching at institutions like Bard College and serving on the board of the PEN American Center. His meticulous process involved close collaboration with authors, particularly Italo Calvino and Umberto Eco.

Major translations and critical reception

Weaver's body of work includes landmark translations that defined how key Italian novels were received internationally. He translated nearly all of Italo Calvino's major fiction, including If on a winter's night a traveler and Invisible Cities, praised for capturing Calvino's inventive style. His rendering of Umberto Eco's complex historical novel The Name of the Rose became a global bestseller and is considered a masterclass in technical translation. Other significant works include his translations of Primo Levi's The Periodic Table, Giorgio Bassani's The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, and novels by Elsa Morante and Luigi Pirandello. Critics in publications like The New York Review of Books consistently lauded his fidelity and literary grace.

Awards and honors

Throughout his career, Weaver received numerous prestigious awards for his contributions to literary translation. He won the National Book Award in Translation in 1969 for his work on Italo Calvino's Cosmicomics. He was a multiple recipient of the PEN Translation Prize, earning it for translations of works by Italo Calvino and Umberto Eco. In Italy, he was honored with the title of Commendatore dell'Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana. He also received the French Academy's Monselice Prize for translation and an award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Personal life and legacy

Weaver lived for many years in a converted 12th-century monastery in Tuscany, near Montepulciano, where he was a well-known figure in the local community and an avid gardener. He was a founding member of the American Literary Translators Association and mentored many younger translators. His legacy is that of a consummate craftsman who bridged Italian culture and the Anglosphere, fundamentally shaping the Western canon's understanding of modern Italy. His papers are housed at the University of Texas at Austin's Harry Ransom Center. Weaver died in Montepulciano in 2013, remembered as one of the most influential literary translators of the 20th century.

Category:American translators Category:1923 births Category:2013 deaths