Ignazio Silone, born Secondino Tranquilli on 1 May 1900, was a renowned Italian politician, novelist, essayist, playwright, and short-story writer. He gained international fame during World War II for his powerful anti-fascist novels. Among the most recognized Italian intellectuals in Europe and worldwide, Silone's most famous novel, Fontamara, became emblematic for its denunciation of poverty, injustice, and social oppression of the lower classes and has been translated into numerous languages.

From 1946 to 1963, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. An anti-fascist exile abroad for many years, Silone actively participated in various phases of Italian politics, significantly influencing the cultural life of post-war Italy. He was among the founders of Italy's Communist Party in 1921 but was later expelled due to his dissidence with the Stalinist party line, after which he adopted democratic socialist positions. Despite controversies regarding his relations with the Italian fascist secret police, Silone was highly appreciated abroad throughout his career.