A Tent in This World
A concise example of Weaver's original fiction.
Author guide
William Weaver Books in Order
William Fense Weaver (1923–2013) was an American writer, literary translator, opera critic, and biographer. He lived for much of his career in Italy and translated major works by Italo Calvino, Umberto Eco, Primo Levi, Giorgio Bassani, and many other Italian authors. His original books focused chiefly on opera, including studies of Verdi and Puccini, a biography of Eleonora Duse, and the novella A Tent in This World.
novellabiographymusic criticismopera studiesliterary criticism
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Duse: A Biography
His major biographical work and a representative example of his literary nonfiction.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (4)
- A Tent in This World
novella · 1950
- Puccini: The Man and His Music
nonfiction · 1977
- Verdi: A Documentary Study
nonfiction · 1977
- The Golden Century of Italian Opera from Rossini to Puccini
nonfiction · 1980
Nonfiction (1)
- Duse: A Biography
biography · 1984
Essays and speeches (2)
- The Verdi Companion
essay collection · 1979
- The Puccini Companion: Essays on Puccini's Life and Music
essay collection · 1994
Other (1)
- Seven Puccini Librettos in the Original Italian
translation · 1981
Frequently asked questions about William Weaver
Who was William Weaver?
William Fense Weaver (1923–2013) was an American literary translator, critic, writer, and teacher best known for translating modern Italian literature into English. He also wrote extensively about opera.
Sources: bard.edu (opens in a new tab)archives.iu.edu (opens in a new tab)
Where was William Weaver born, and when did he die?
He was born in Washington, D.C., on July 24, 1923, and died in Rhinebeck, New York, on November 12, 2013.
Sources: washingtonpost.com (opens in a new tab)archives.iu.edu (opens in a new tab)
How did William Weaver become a translator of Italian literature?
During World War II, Weaver served as an American Field Service ambulance driver in North Africa and Italy, where he learned Italian. After the war, he lived mainly in Italy, studied at the University of Rome, and became closely connected with Italian writers and literary culture.
Sources: archives.iu.edu (opens in a new tab)paw.princeton.edu (opens in a new tab)washingtonpost.com (opens in a new tab)
What awards did William Weaver receive?
Weaver won the 1969 National Book Award for Translation and received the PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation in 1991, a lifetime-achievement honor for translators. He also received other major translation prizes, including the John Florio Prize.
Sources: nationalbook.org (opens in a new tab)pen.org (opens in a new tab)bard.edu (opens in a new tab)
What is William Weaver's legacy?
Weaver helped make modern Italian literature widely accessible to English-language readers, especially through his translations of writers such as Italo Calvino and Umberto Eco. He also left a legacy as a teacher at Bard College, where an endowment connected to him helped create the Bard Fiction Prize.
Sources: artsandletters.org (opens in a new tab)alums.bard.edu (opens in a new tab)