Italian longing: Petra Reski talks about her life in Venice

Italian longing: Petra Reski talks about her life in Venice

On August 14, 2025, the Hanover audience is invited to a special reading evening with the renowned author Petra Reski. Titled "All'italiana! How I Tried to Become Italian," Reski will share her fascinating experiences and anecdotes collected during her long relationship with Italy. Born in 1958 in the Ruhr area and educated at a journalism school in Hamburg, Reski has lived in Venice since 1991 and has immersed himself deeply in Italian culture. Her book covers not only her love affair with Italy, but also her decision to acquire Italian citizenship in order to be able to vote.

Reski, who writes numerous articles for magazines and radio from her home in Venice, has also dealt intensively with Italian bureaucracy. A topic that concerns many foreigners in Italy the most. But it is more than just bureaucracy that shapes the country's history. The deep connection between Italy's culture and German history is also evident in Reski's works, which often shed light on the dark sides, as she does in her book "Mafia. Of Godfathers, Pizzerias and False Priests" (2008).

The beautiful language Italian

But what would Italy be without its language? Italian, a Romance language spoken as a native language by approximately 65 million people, is deeply rooted in the country's culture. It is spoken not only in Italy, but also in neighboring areas of Switzerland and in parts of Slovenia and Croatia, and has an exciting history that dates back to the 8th or 9th century. The first written document attesting to the volgare, i.e. the Italian vernacular, is the so-called Indovinello veronese, and there are numerous valuable literary contributions from famous authors such as Dante Alighieri and Francesco Petrarch.

In recent centuries, Italian has established itself as a uniform language, despite the colorful variety of dialects that are still spoken in different regions. These dialects, often very different, are not only an expression of regional identity, but are sometimes even viewed as independent languages.

Language courses for everyone

For all those who are now interested in the Italian language, there are numerous offers to take the first steps. A beginner's course A1 - Part 1 ensures that learners with little or no previous knowledge can get started. The course is multifaceted and combines grammar, communication, vocabulary and exercises to make the learning process exciting and entertaining. Each unit is complemented by materials that introduce Italian culture, such as Italian songs and short stories. At the end of each unit there is also a final test to check progress.

Overall, the reading evening with Petra Reski is a wonderful opportunity to find out more about Italy and its culture - and perhaps also to make you want to learn Italian!