Antonio Francesco Gramsci (1891 — 1937) was an Italian Marxist philosopher, journalist, literary critic, linguist, historian, and politician. He wrote extensively on political theory, sociology, anthropology, history, and linguistics. Gramsci was elected as a deputy for the Italian Communist Party and spent eight years in prison under Mussolini's orders.
From the period of his imprisonment, two important works emerged: ‘Prison Notebooks’ and ‘Prison Letters, ‘ containing messages written to relatives or friends, which were later compiled for publication. The prison letters of Antonio Gramsci constitute a valuable key to understanding his thought. They also reveal the man Antonio Gramsci, with his doubts and certainties, fears, and suffering due to the forced distance from his family.
About the author
Antonio Francesco Gramsci (January 22, 1891 – April 27, 1937) was an Italian Marxist philosopher, journalist, literary critic, linguist, historian, and politician. He wrote extensively on political theory, sociology, anthropology, history, and linguistics.
Gramsci was a founding member and general secretary of the Communist Party of Italy, and he served as a deputy for the Veneto district before being imprisoned by Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime. He is primarily recognized for his theory of cultural hegemony, which describes how the state uses cultural institutions to maintain power in Western societies.