Born in Rome in 1918, Morante was married to the writer Alberto Moravia. During the last years of World War II, the couple were refugees in the countryside near Cassino. Her first novel, Menzogna e Sortilegio (1948) was a critical success and won the Viareggio Prize. She was not a prolific writer, with L'isola di Arturo appearing nearly ten years later. At the time of publication in 1974 History was called the novel of the century. Morante died in Rome on November 25, 1985.
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