Mapping contemporary Italian women poets through research, data and editorial storytelling.
The Observatory of Contemporary Women’s Poetry is an independent research project developed through Poetessedonne.it, an Italian platform dedicated to women poets past and present.
Created by journalist, philologist and digital strategist Alessia Pizzi, the project combines editorial research, data analysis and digital humanities methodologies to document contemporary women’s poetry in Italy.
Its goal is simple: to make visible a literary landscape that often remains outside anthologies, academic programs and mainstream publishing conversations.
Why This Observatory Exists
For five years, Poetessedonne.it has collected interviews with contemporary women poets, gathering information about:
- published books
- literary influences
- publishing journeys
- geographical origins
- poetic themes
What began as an editorial archive gradually evolved into a structured dataset.
The Observatory was created to transform those interviews into a broader picture of contemporary Italian women’s poetry.
Not to establish a new canon, but to observe, document and understand a literary ecosystem that remains largely unmapped.
Key Findings (2021–2026)
45 Women Poets Surveyed
The first edition of the Observatory is based on interviews conducted between 2021 and 2026.
122 Published Poetry Books
The surveyed poets collectively reported 122 published poetry collections.
A Fragmented Publishing Ecosystem
No publisher accounts for more than 10% of the books included in the sample.
The findings suggest a highly decentralized ecosystem dominated by small and independent presses.
Literary Influences
Alda Merini emerges as the most cited literary influence (51.16%), followed by Emily Dickinson (34.88%).
Together, they reveal an interesting dialogue between Italian literary tradition and international poetic voices.
Poetry as Lived Experience
The most recurring thematic area concerns personal experience, memory, emotions and identity.
For many contemporary poets, poetry remains a way of interpreting and sharing lived reality.
Why It Matters
Contemporary Italian poetry is rarely discussed beyond specialist circles.
Contemporary Italian women poets are even less visible internationally.
The Observatory seeks to provide researchers, translators, publishers, journalists and readers with a first point of access to this literary landscape.
It is not a ranking, It is a map.
Explore the Project
- Read the English Overview
- Read the Full Observatory (Italian)
- Read the Report (Italian)
About Poetessedonne.it
Founded in 2021, Poetessedonne.it is an independent editorial project dedicated to women poets across history and the contemporary world.
The platform combines literary criticism, interviews, educational resources, editorial coverage and original research.
Its mission is captured by its motto:
Women Poets Worth Remembering.
Contact
Alessia Pizzi
Journalist | Philologist | Digital Marketing Strategist
Founder, Poetessedonne.it