Donna Leon Explained

Donna Leon
Birth Date:	28 September 1942
Birth Place:	Montclair, New Jersey, U.S.
Nationality:	American, Swiss (since 2020)
Period:	1992–present
Notableworks:	Death at La Fenice

Donna Leon (;^[1] born September 28, 1942) is the American author of a series of crime novels set in Venice, Italy, featuring the fictional hero Commissario Guido Brunetti. The novels are written in English, and have been translated into many foreign languages, althoughat Leon's requestnot into Italian, as she formerly lived there, still visits monthly, and prefers not to have recognition in the country.

Early life and education

Donna Leon was born on September 28, 1942^[2] in Montclair, New Jersey,^[3] to Roman Catholic parents, who had strong leanings to the Democratic party. Her paternal grandparents were Spanish and her maternal grandparents were Irish and German. She grew up in Bloomfield, New Jersey.^[4] Her parents put a strong focus on education for their daughter.

The Guardian reports: "Leon was teaching in Iran while attempting to complete a PhD about Jane Austen when the revolution of 1978-79 interrupted her studies and her life. When her trunks were returned to her months later, following her hasty evacuation (part of it at gunpoint, on a bus), her papers were gone." She returned to the US and worked in New York City writing advertising copy. When she visited Italy for the first time, she fell in love with the country.

Teaching and residence

Leon was a lecturer in English literature for the University of Maryland University CollegeEurope (UMUC-Europe)^[5] in Venice, and taught English from 1981 to 1990 at an American military base in Italy.^[6]

In 2015, Leon left Venice after 30 years, and began to split her time between the homes she owns in Switzerland, one in Zürich and another in the mountains. she resided mainly in the small village of Val Müstair in the mountains of Grisons.^[7] she was returning to Venice approximately one week each month.

In 2020 she became a Swiss citizen.^[8]

Career

Leon wrote a crime novel after seeing a scene she thought belonged in such a novel. She wrote it in 8 months and stuck it in a drawer until a friend persuaded her to submit to a writing contest, which she won.^[9]

Setting and viewpoints of the Brunetti novels

The police commissioner Guido Brunetti confronts crime in and around his home town of Venice. Each case is an opportunity for the author to reveal another aspect of the seamy underside of society and another facet of Venetian life. Brunetti reports to the vain and self-serving buffoon, Vice-Questore Patta, while Sergente (later Ispettore and with the inspector per tu) Vianello and the all-knowing and well-connected Signorina Elettra, Patta's secretary, assists Brunetti on the ground and through research.^{[10] [11]}

These novels are successful in Germany and translated into many languages, though not Italian.

Recognition and awards

Her Commissario Brunetti novels are written in English, but have been translated into many foreign languages, althoughat Leon's requestnot into Italian.^[12]

The ninth Brunetti novel, Friends in High Places, won the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger in 2000.^[13]

In 2003, she received the Corine Literature Prize.^[14]

German television has produced 26 Commissario Brunetti episodes for broadcast.^{[15] [16]}

Bibliography

Commissario Guido Brunetti novels

See main article: Guido Brunetti novels.

Other novels

• The Jewels of Paradise (2012)^[17]

Non-fiction

Books

• Book: Leon, Donna . Pianaro, Roberta . New York. Atlantic Monthly Press. 2010. A Taste of Venice: At Table with Brunetti (also known as Brunetti's Cookbook) . 978-0-8021-9710-8 . 881682705.
• Book: Leon, Donna. My Venice and Other Essays. First; hardcover. New York. Atlantic Monthly Press. 2013. 978-0-8021-2280-3 . 895718119.

Books with musical recordings

• Book: Handel's Bestiary: In Search of Animals in Handel's Operas . Leon, Donna . Sowa, Michael . Handel, George Frideric . Curtis, Alan . Gauvin, Karina . Hallenberg, Ann . Agnew, Paul . Zorzi Giustiniani, Anicio . New York. Atlantic Monthly Press . 2010 . 978-0-8021-1996-4 . 676727019. Book and audio recording. WorldCat summary: "A literary, visual, and musical exploration of twelve of Handel's arias referencing animals. Complemented by a CD recording, conducted by Alan Curtis with Karina Gauvin (Soprano), Ann Hallenberg (Mezzo-soprano), Paul Agnew, and Anicio Zorzi Giustiniani (Tenor)."
• Book: Leon, Donna . Il Complesso Barocco . Minasi, Riccardo . Vivaldi, Antonio . Venetian Curiosities. New York . Atlantic Monthly Press. 2011. First. 978-0-8021-2280-3 . 757477421. Book and audio recording. Worldcat summary: "Novelist Donna Leon recounts some legendary tales of Venice, offering insight into Venetian customs of the past and present. Includes music CD of seven concertos by Antonio Vivaldi performed by Il Complesso Barocco and conducted by Riccardo Minasi."
• Book: Leon, Donna . . Minasi, Riccardo . Capezzuto, Vincenzo . Bartoli, Cecilia . Gondola. 2013. 978-0-8021-2266-7 . 896728682. Book and audio recording. Worldcat summary: "Accompanied by a CD of Italian boat songs, this fascinating history of the gondola, which was first used in medieval Venice as a maneuverable getaway boat, reveals how it evolved over the centuries into a floating pleasure palace that facilitated the romantic escapades of the Venetian elite." Notes: "With a CD of Venetian barcarole performed by Il Pomo d'Oro, conducted by Riccardo Minasi, featuring Vincenzo Capezzuto and Cecilia Bartoli."

Spin-offs

Leon's Commissario Brunetti novels have spawned multiple spin-off enterprises, including:

• A travel guidebook: Book: Brunetti's Venice: Walks with the City's Best-Loved Detective . Paperback . April 2009 . Sepeda, Toni . Leon, Donna . Grove Press . 978-0-8021-4437-9. New York. 259266590 .
• Walking Tours of Guido Brunetti's Venice with accompanying maps: Dr. Toni Sepeda,"the only lecturer authorized by Donna Leon to conduct events in Brunetti's Venicea", leads individual and group tours of the locations and routes noted in Leon's Commissario Guido Brunetti novels.^[18]

Further reading

• News: By the Book: Donna Leon . March 7, 2019. The New York Times.

External links

• Web site: Authors: Donna Leon. Grove Atlantic. January 19, 2019.
• Web site: Donna Leon: Book Reviews. RandomHouse.co.uk. bot: unknown. https://web.archive.org/web/20080819202132/http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/minisites/donnaleon/reviews.html. 2008-08-19.
• Web site: Exclusive Interview with Donna Leon. Venice, Italy. May 5, 2003. Italian-Mysteries.com. Interview with Donna Leon and links to more Donna Leon interviews.
• Il Complesso Barocco, official website of conductor/harpsichordist/founder Alan Curtis' Baroque-music orchestra underwritten by Donna Leon.
• Web site: Touring Brunetti's Venice: Places to visit that appear in Commissario Guido Brunetti Mysteries . GroveAtlantic.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20090503181616/http://www.groveatlantic.com/leon/tour2.htm . 2009-05-03 .

Notes and References

1. Web site: SwissEduc - English - Leon, Donna: *1942 . Swisseduc.ch . December 21, 2008. February 14, 2013.
2. Web site: Donna Leon - Biografie Who's WHO .
3. News: Marder, Dianna. This case is culinary: Commissario's favorites. The Philadelphia Inquirer. July 8, 2010. July 25, 2011. "Some 25 years ago, an English teacher and opera expert originally from Montclair, N.J., felt the lure of the lagoons and adopted Venice as her home. Now Donna Leon, 67, is the celebrated author of 19 international best sellers (more than two million sold) featuring a shrewd but principled police detective by the name of Guido Brunettiand she is finally rewarding her readers with a cookbook of his favorite recipes."
4. News: Interview: Donna Leon: Why I became an eco-detective writer . Rustin . Susanna . The Guardian . April 15, 2017 . September 27, 2018.
5. Web site: . Donna Leon and the Madness of Venice. January 11, 2016.
6. Book: Freeman, John . John Freeman (author) . 2013 . How to Read a Novelist . Farrar, Straus and Giroux . 192 . 978-0-374-17326-5.
7. News: Hällsten, Annika . Donna Leon vill vara politisk . Hufvudstadsbladet . October 1, 2016 . 33 . sv .
8. https://www.nau.ch/news/schweiz/krimi-autorin-donna-leon-ist-jetzt-schweizerin-65797662 Krimi-Autorin Donna Leon ist jetzt Schweizerin
9. Donna Leon Interview . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/MOvMeylJi78 . 2021-12-21 . live. March 1, 2014 . September 27, 2018 . MHz Networks.
10. News: Review: Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon . Publishers Weekly . 0-06-104337-0 . Leon . Donna . 23 November 1994 .
11. Highbrow Lowbrow. Green, Peter. May 28, 2012. New Republic.
12. Web site: Donna Leon Interview . Italian-mysteries.com . May 5, 2003 . February 14, 2013.
13. Web site: Past winners – Silver Dagger – Page 2 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240317181021/https://thecwa.co.uk/past-winners/page/2/?search&from_year&to_year&past_winners_awards%5B0%5D=silver . 2024-03-17 . 2024-03-17 . The Crime Writers' Association . en.
14. Web site: Die Corine 2003: Laudatoren . . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20160606074847/http://corine.de/chronik/laudatoren.php?year=2003 . 2016-06-06 . dead . 2024-06-21.
15. Book: IMDb. Donna Leon: The Commissario Guido Brunetti Mysteries (TV Series) . July 22, 2016.
16. Web site: MovieFone . Where to Watch Donna Leon: The Commissario Guido Brunetti Mysteries Online . 2016-07-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20160815023824/http://www.moviefone.com/tv/donna-leon-the-commissario-guido-brunetti-mysteries/252056/where-to-watch/. 2016-08-15.
17. Book: Leon, Donna. 2012. William Heinemann Ltd. London. The Jewels of Paradise. 978-0-434-02228-1. 929904082. Export.
18. Web site: Sepeda, Toni. Walking Tours of Guido Brunetti's Venice. DonnaLeon.net. 2016-06-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20180324105129/http://www.donnaleon.net/. 2018-03-24.