World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Oriana Fallaci

オリアナ・ファラーチ

Oriana Farāchi

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1929-06-29 （Florence, Italy）
Died
2006-09-15 （Florence, Italy） age 77
Nationality
Italian
Languages
Italian, English
Religion
None (self-described 'Christian atheist')
Residence History
Florence (birthplace and primary residence) → Tuscany (owned house) → New York City (residence; lecturing)

Career

Occupations
journalist, author, interviewer
Active Years
1946-2006
Influenced By
Bruno Fallaci (uncle, journalist), Italian resistance movement (Giustizia e Libertà)
Influenced
Subsequent journalists and interviewers, Controversial public intellectuals and commentators

Education

University of Florence
Medicine and Chemistry (later transferred to Literature; did not complete)
Country: Italy
Attended but did not graduate; later pursued journalism.

Awards

St. Vincent Prize for journalism
1967
Organization: St. Vincent Prize (awarding body)
Result: 受賞
St. Vincent Prize for journalism
1971
Organization: St. Vincent Prize (awarding body)
Result: 受賞
Bancarella Prize
1970
Work: Nothing, and So Be It
Organization: Premio Bancarella
Result: 受賞
Viareggio Prize
1979
Work: A Man
Organization: Premio Viareggio
Result: 受賞
Prix Antibes
1993
Work: Inshallah
Organization: Prix Antibes
Result: 受賞
Annie Edson Taylor Award (for courage)
2005
Organization: Center for the Study of Popular Culture (David Horowitz Freedom Center)
Result: 受賞
Ambrogino d'oro (Golden Ambrogino)
2005
Organization: City of Milan
Result: 受賞
Gold medal for cultural contributions (Benemerita della Cultura)
2005
Organization: President of the Italian Republic (proposal by Minister of Education)
Result: 受賞（欠席受賞）
Gold medal from the Council of Tuscany
2006
Organization: Council of Tuscany (President of Tuscany)
Result: 受賞
Jan Karski Eagle Award
Organization: Jan Karski Eagle Award (awarding body)
Result: 受賞
D.Litt. (honorary Doctor of Letters)
Organization: Columbia College (Chicago)
Result: 授与（名誉学位）
America Award (Italy–USA Foundation, posthumous)
2010
Organization: Italy–USA Foundation
Result: 追贈

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Interview with History

1974 Interview collection

A collection of incisive interviews with sixteen world political leaders, offering insights into postwar politics and power.

powerpoliticsleadership

Nothing, and So Be It

1969 War reportage / memoir

A report and personal account based on reporting experiences during the Vietnam War.

warviolencepersonal experience

Letter to a Child Never Born

1975 Novel (dialogue form)

A dialogue between a mother and her unborn (miscarried) child, exploring birth, death, and choice.

motherhoodbioethicsloss

A Man

1979 Historical/biographical novel

A novel based on the life of Greek resistance figure Alexandros Panagoulis, depicting freedom and sacrifice.

freedomresistancesacrifice

Inshallah

1990 Novel

A fictional account of Italian troops stationed in Lebanon in 1983, portraying human stories in war.

warmilitarymorality

The Rage and the Pride

2001 Political essay / polemic

A series of post-9/11 essays critical of Islamist extremism and Europe's response, highly polemical.

critique of religionimmigrationculture and identity

The Force of Reason

2004 Political essay / follow-up

A follow-up to The Rage and the Pride, further developing warnings about Europe and criticism of Islam.

clash of civilizationsfuture of Europereligion and freedom

Bibliography

  • The Seven Sins of Hollywood
  • The Useless Sex: Voyage around the Woman
  • Penelope at War
  • Limelighters / The Egotists
  • If the Sun Dies
  • Nothing, and So Be It
  • Interview with History
  • Letter to a Child Never Born
  • A Man
  • Inshallah
  • The Rage and the Pride
  • The Force of Reason
  • Oriana Fallaci Interviews Herself – The Apocalypse

Adaptations

  • Miss Fallaci (TV series, 2024)

Translations by Author

  • English translation of Inshallah (Fallaci worked on the translation)

Translations of Works

  • English editions
  • French editions
  • Spanish editions

Style & Themes

Literary Style
direct and combative interview styleon-the-ground reportagepolemic and emotive voice
Recurring Motifs
power and resistancedepictions of war and violenceclash of cultures and identity

Health

  • cancer
    2005–2006
    Restricted late-life activities; led to death in 2006.

Legacy

Known internationally for frontline reportage and a distinctive interview style, she provoked both acclaim and controversy for her later criticisms of Islam. Commemorated in several Italian cities and the subject of television dramatizations and retrospective works.

In Popular Culture

  • Biographical TV series 'Miss Fallaci' (2024)
  • Streets or squares named after her in several Italian cities (Pisa, Arezzo, Genoa, etc.)
  • Referenced in political debates (e.g., proposal to feature her on currency) since 2019

Quotes

  • Whether it comes from a despotic sovereign or an elected president, from a murderous general or a beloved leader, I see power as an inhuman and hateful phenomenon... I have always looked on disobedience toward the oppressive as the only way to use the miracle of having been born.
    Source: Excerpt from a 1976 retrospective collection of her works (1976)

Trivia

  • She was shot three times by Mexican soldiers during the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre and left for dead.
  • She described herself as a 'Christian atheist.'
  • Her post-9/11 books critical of Islam led to lawsuits in Switzerland and legal challenges in France.
  • Her life has been revisited in biographical novels and a 2024 TV series.