born June 28, 1867, Agrigento, Sicily, Italy
died Dec. 10, 1936, Rome
Italian playwright and novelist.
He earned a doctorate in philology at the University of Bonn but turned to writing poetry, short stories, and several novels, including the successful The Late Mattia Pascal (1904). His first major play, Right You Are (if You Think You Are) (1917), explored the relativity of truth, a lifelong subject for Pirandello. Six Characters in Search of an Author (1921) contrasted art and life; it was followed by the tragedy Henry IV (1922). His other plays include Each in His Own Way (1924) and Tonight We Improvise (1930). He established the Teatro d'Arte in Rome and toured the world with his company (192527). Recognized as a major figure in 20th-century theatre, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1934.
Luigi Pirandello.
Courtesy of the Italian Institute, London