Rate My Professor Brennan Wales

Professor Brennan Wales has been a prominent figure in the study of Italian literature at the University of New England (UNE) in Armidale, Australia, where he has taught for many years, including delivering courses on major works to third-year students. He has served as Convener of Italian studies and acted as coordinator for international academic agreements, such as between UNE and the University of Macerata in Italy. His scholarly career is marked by dedicated translation efforts and critical analyses that make key Italian literary texts accessible to English-speaking readers.

Brennan Wales' translations highlight the Sicilian verismo tradition of Giovanni Verga. In 1993, UNE's Italian Department published his English version of Verga's *Cavalleria rusticana*. This culminated in *Three Plays - Giovanni Verga* (2002, DAVESCO Editrice, Lugano), which includes *Cavalleria rusticana*, *In portineria* (*The Door-keeper's Lodge*), and *La lupa* (*The She-Wolf*). Derived from short stories published between 1880 and 1883 and first staged in Milan from 1884 to 1896, these plays employ poetic dialogue infused with Sicilian linguistic elements, presenting unique challenges that Wales addressed by prioritizing accuracy while ensuring readable English. His critical essays provide deep insights into canonical novels. *The Betrothed - a Human Comedy: An essay on 'I promessi sposi' by Alessandro Manzoni* (2008) draws from years of classroom teaching, exploring Manzoni's synthesis of history and fiction, his views on human suffering and resilience, and the novel's revisions up to 1847. Likewise, *The Leopard: A Sicilian Saga* (2014, Intense Multiplay, Sorengo) dissects Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's *Il gattopardo*, written late in life and published posthumously in 1957, its success amplified by Luchino Visconti's 1963 film adaptation, and its commentary on Italian unification and aristocracy, influencing terms like *gattopardismo*. In 2004, Wales received the honor of Grand'Ufficiale. He presented the lecture *Il Gattopardo tra romanzo e film* at the University of Macerata on 21 April 2016. Wales' contributions have enriched the field of Italian studies.