Claudio Magris

Claudio Magris, born April 10, 1939, in Trieste, Italy, is an Italian scholar, translator, essayist, and writer renowned for his essays and novels exploring Central European culture and the "Habsburg myth," with notable works including Danubio (1986, English: Danube), Microcosmi (1997, English: Microcosms), and Stadelmann (1988), Erasmus Prize bio. A professor of modern German literature at the University of Trieste since 1978 and former Italian senator (1994-1996), he has received major awards such as the Strega Prize (1997), Prince of Asturias Award for Literature (2004), Erasmus Prize (2001), and Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels (2009).