The Italian
Cultural Institute, founded in 1979, is an office of the Italian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs - Department for Cultural Promotion and Cooperation.
The Institute
promotes Italian language and culture in Scotland and Northern Ireland and
cooperates with local Institutions and Universities and serves as well as a
gathering point for the Italian community.
The Institute
promotes academic exchanges, organises arts exhibitions, sponsors the
translation of Italian books, supports various events on literature, music,
sciences, dance, film, design, fashion, theatre, cuisine, architecture,
photography, etc
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There have been countless books on Italian immigration, especially to the
United States, so this is by no means an exhaustive list and as usual I would
welcome any suggestions.
This selection covers those books
and films specific to Scots- Italians,
many you can find on
Amazon, others are
held in University libraries and unfortunately some are now out of print.
Films
Another Place, Another Time.
Released 1983. (Discontinued)
Starring
Phyllis Logan, Giovanni Mauriello, Denise Coffey, Tom Watson & Gregor
Fisher.
Directed by Michael Radford of Il
Postino ame, this highlights the plight of a number of Italian POW's
relocated to a remote Scottish island community. It follows the main
characters' anguish with being away from their families, living in an
alien climate and coping with the cultural differences. Especially well
received at the Cannes Film festival of that year.
Comfort
and Joy (1984)
A Bill Forsyth film, this tale is set in Glasgow
during Christmas, and revolves around a radio DJ who gets embroiled
with a family feud between rivalling Scots-Italian ice cream
vendors.
Strictly Sinatra (also known as
Cocozza's Way).
Limited
release November 2001.
Directed by Peter Capaldi, this
picture features Ian Hart as Ol' Blue Eyes Loving crooner Toni Cocozza.
To further his career Toni teams up with a local gang leader (Brian
Cox), but this leads to some complications, especially with girlfriend
Irene (Kelly MacDonald, from Trainspotting).
Soft Top Hard Shoulder
Released 1992
Directed by Stefan Schwartz
Written
by and starring Peter Capaldi, this film follows the story of a
disgruntled son of a Scots-Italian ice cream magnate who leaves Glasgow
for the bright lights of London hoping to make it big as an illustrator
for children books. He finds life in the big smoke tough and so takes up
the timely offer from his Uncle Sal to share in the proceeds of the sale
of the ice cream empire. The only drawback is that he has to make his
father's birthday party on time or risk losing his cut. On the road back
up north he picks up a hitchhiker that does not appear all that she
seems....
Starring
Soprano regular Vincent
Pastore this British Film tells the tale of two American Mafiosi, Gino
and Settimo who come to Glasgow for fear of being wiped out in New York
gangland war and take refuge in their cousins fish and chip shop.
However, first impressions are deceptive indeed and cousin Roberto soon
discovers that far from being PR consultants, his cousins have a darker
secret....
Books
The
following three appear to be the most comprehensive guides to
Scots-Italians that I have come across.
Italian Ethnics: Their
Languages, Literature and Lives. authors: Candeloro, Dominic,
Fred L. Gardaphe, and Paolo A. Giordano, eds. publisher: The
American Italian Historical Association, 1990.
Italiani in Scozia: The Story
of the Scots Italians. author: Murdoch Rodgers
Odyssey: Voices from Scotland's Recent Past, ed. Billy Kay
publisher:Edinburgh: Polygon Books, 1982.
The Scottish Nation 1700-2000.
author: T.M. Devine. publisher:Penguin Press 1999.
Buy this
Book.
Vanilla Beans & Brodo.author: Isabella Dusi. publisher: Simon & Schuster,
2001. Tales of a Scots born woman living in Montalcino, Tuscany.
Buy this
Book.
Paradise Salvage. author:
John Fusco. publisher: Simon & Schuster (2001).
Mystery and suspense thriller based on the authors experience as a
Scots-Italian living in the USA. Described as a story of innocence
lost and justice found. Buy this
Book.
A Mind at War: An
Autobiography (1990). author: Tognini Piero publisher:
New York: Vantage Press.*
An Italian in Exile in
Edinburgh, 1840-48. author: Ambrose Mary Renaissance
and Other Studies: Essays Presented to Peter M. Brown.
publisher: Department of Italian, University of Glasgow.*
The Glasgow Italians.
author: Edward Mary in "Who belongs to Glasgow? 200 Years of
Migration". publisher: Glasgow 1993: Glasgow City Libraries.*
Italiani in Scozia - The Story
of Scots Italians. author: Kay Billy Odyssey - Voices from
Scotland's Past. The Second Collection. publisher: Edinburgh.
Polygon (1982).*
Barga, Paese Come Tanti.
author: Nardini Antonio. publisher: Camera di Commercio
di Lucca (in collaborazione della Sezione di Barga dell'Istituto
Storico Lucchese (1994).*
Barga no more - Portrait of a
people: The Italian Scots. Article appeared in Caledonia -
Living in Scotland Now (July 1999). publisher: Edinburgh:
Scott House Publishing Ltd.*
Italian Immigration into
Scotland. author:Harvey Wood Alison E, in Proceedings
of the 4th Annual Conference of the Scottish Association of Family
History Societies, European Immigration into Scotland.
publisher:Glasgow:Scottish Association of Family History
Societies.*
Collar the Lot! - How Britain
Interned and Expelled its Wartime Refugees.authors:
Gillman Peter and Leni. publisher:London:Quartet Books.*
Memories of 1940 - Impressions
of Life in an Interment Camp. author: Rossi Gaetano.
publisher: Glasgow: University of Glasgow (1991), Department of
Italian.*
Appunti di Storia
sull'Emigrazione Barghigiana. author:Bruno Sereni.
publisher:Giornale di Barga.*
The Anti-Italian Riots, June
1940 in Racial Violence in Britain in the Nineteenth and
Twentieth Century. author:Sponza Lucio. publisher:London:
Leicester University Press.*
Italian Immigrants in
Nineteenth Century Britain: Realities and Images author:Sponza
Lucio. publisher:London: Leicester University Press.*
Mosiaco. A Miscellany of
Writings Presented to Enrico Cocozza. author:Wilkin Andrew.
publisher:Glasgow: University of Strathclyde (1985)*
Further Definition of the
Origins of the Earliest Italo-Scots, in Millar Eillen (ed),
Renaissance and Other Studies. author:Wilkin Andrew.
publisher: University of Glasgow, Department of Italian (1988)*
*Many thanks to Verena who
forwarded me the above list and good luck with your dissertation!
The list below was kindly
submitted by Leonard, from Canada no less....
1." Wandering Minstrel" by
Cagliardo Coraggioso (my grand father Eugenio D’Agostino’s pen name)
published 1938 by Oxford University Press. This story of experiences
of an organ grinder. Some libraries may have it. One copy in
National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh.
2."North of
Naples, South of Rome" by Paolo Tullio in print and in
libraries
3.
" In Love and War" by Maria Corelli a delightful paperback
just published of a girl who was trapped in Italy during WW2. and 14
Jews who were hidden in the Picinisco area.
4.D.H Lawrence
spent a winter in Picinisco researching. An account of
it is in his "Letters" and the last chapter of his novel "
Stolen Girl" describes Picinisco.
5." Italians
Forward” by Terri Colpi, a great picture history of The
Italians in Britain the companion book to" The Italian Factor"
6.
Joe Piere's second book. I think it’s called “ The Café Savoy”
7.“Storia Di
Picinisco” by Vincenzo Arcari published by Apice of Rome in
Italian
8. "Forte"
by himself by Sir Charles Forte.
9. "The
Little Slaves of the Harp" b Professor John Zucchi of Toronto.
Italian Child Street musicians in the 19th century. Published by
McGill-Queen's University Press.
10
"Dear Francesca." by Mary Contini.( ofValvona and Crolla)
More than a recipe book. Just published.It's
perhaps the best account of peasant life in the Picinisco and
Fontitune area.
Thanks again to Leonard for this
comprehensive list.
As
an Italian living in Glasgow in the 1940's, Joe Pieri was
rounded up and interned under the direct orders of Churchill
who feared a 'Fifth Column' from 'enemy' nationals within
the UK. Where his fate differed was that than rather than
the Isle of Man or
Orkney,
a clerical error meant that Pieri ended up in a POW camp in
Montreal, Canada.
This
tale recounts his experiences, his hopes, struggles and
sense of injustice - indeed his own brother served in the
British Army. This period of imprisonment perhaps led Pieri
to his greatest challenge, coming face to face with his love
for Scotland and his feelings as an Italian.
Joe Pieri
also has two other books published. The Big Men
recounts the tales of Glasgow policemen and in Tales of
the Savoy Pieri re-lives his days as a cafe owner in the
Cowcaddens area of the city. Just released in The
Scots-Italians.
Starring
Phyllis Logan, Giovanni Mauriello, Denise Coffey, Tom Watson & Gregor
Fisher.
Limited
release November 2001. 
Written
by and starring Peter Capaldi, this film follows the story of a
disgruntled son of a Scots-Italian ice cream magnate who leaves Glasgow
for the bright lights of London hoping to make it big as an illustrator
for children books. He finds life in the big smoke tough and so takes up
the timely offer from his Uncle Sal to share in the proceeds of the sale
of the ice cream empire. The only drawback is that he has to make his
father's birthday party on time or risk losing his cut. On the road back
up north he picks up a hitchhiker that does not appear all that she
seems....
Directed
by Donald Coutts