Valentina Pedone "Addio mia Cinciuè"

April 12, 2026·18 min·1 clip

Valentina Pedone explains why the term 'Sino-Italian' is almost unknown, introducing an anthology that uncovers this hidden literary community.

The episode begins with host introducing Valentina Pedone, a Chinese language and literature professor at the University of Florence who edited the anthology 'Addio, mia Cinciuè'. Pedone explains the term 'Sino-Italian' is largely unknown, modeled after 'Afro-Italian' to describe Chinese descendants permanently living in Italy. The host notes the cover features four retro kittens in pop art style, connecting to the title's origin. 'Cinciuè' comes from a 1966 Zecchino d'Oro song about a Chinese kitten who drinks only tea, representing orientalist views the anthology challenges. Pedone states the anthology aims to create an alternative canon including Sino-Italian voices as integral to Italian culture, not marginal. She mentions Chinese presence in Italy spans centuries, though often ignored. The anthology includes fiction, not sociological analysis, to showcase diversity within Chinese experiences. Works span poetry, theater, graphic novels, songs, and social media posts in both Italian and Chinese. Authors vary from university workers to factory laborers and exchange students who stayed in Italy. Geographically, they come from southeast China and other regions, migrating for love, work, or study. Pedone describes her editorial role as minimal, focusing on contextualizing authors' biographies to let voices speak directly. She highlights generational differences: first-generation authors educated in China versus second-generation born/raised in Italy. Second-generation authors like Marco Wong write erotic stories or sci-fi, distancing from 'Chineseness' while expressing anger at Italian societal racism. Pedone shares her personal background growing up in the 1970s-80s with cultural openings to China through Marco Polo narratives and Bertolucci's 'The Last Emperor'. She studied Chinese at university, lived in China for two years, then focused on Chinese culture within Italy. The episode concludes with Pedone mentioning she's currently reading a 2020 Chinese fantasy novel 'The Toxic Sea' for a university retrospective.

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