Award-winning novelist Nino Ricci added a literary dimension to the panel discussion, Class, Culture and the Italian Canadian Community, at Founders College Nov. 15.
He was one of three panellists in the first of two panel discussions sponsored this month by the Mariano A. Elia Chair in Italian Canadian Studies at York. The second took place Nov. 25 off campus and featured Canadian politicians of Italian heritage.
In the discussion of class and culture, Martin Stiglio, director of the Italian Cultural Institute, Toronto, talked about the difficulty the institute faces in presenting Italian culture to the Canadian and the Italian-Canadian public. Ricci, author of the best-selling novel Lives of the Saints and a 1981 York grad, talked about his personal experience as an Italian Canadian. Prof. Mauro Buccheri gave an overall view of class and its implication for culture. The discussion was moderated by Prof. Elio Costa. 
Above: From left, Nino Ricci, Elio Costa, Mauro Buccheri and Martin Stiglio
The second panel, Class, Politics and the Italian Canadian Community, featured Canadian politicians of Italian background from all three levels of government: former MP Sergio Marchi, Ontario Minister of Finance Greg Sorbara and City of Vaughan councillor Tony Carella. Moderated by sociology Prof. Livy Visano, the discussion took place Saturday at the Columbus Centre.
About the Mariano A. Elia Chair in Italian Canadian Studies
The Mariano A. Elia Chair in Italian Canadian Studies at York University was established in 1984 to promote knowledge of the Italian Canadian experience. It was endowed by the Mariano A. Elia Charitable Foundation with matching funds from the Department of the Secretary of State of Canada.
This article was submitted to YFile by Jessica Lamoglie, communications coordinatior, Faculty of Arts.