Overview
- Niclas Benni disclosed the news in a Facebook post and said funeral details will be shared by the family.
- The Bologna-born writer had stepped away from public life in recent years as his health declined.
- Benni became a leading voice in Italian comic and satirical literature with works such as Bar Sport, Terra!, Elianto, La compagnia dei celestini and Margherita Dolcevita, translated into more than 30 languages.
- He worked across theatre and film, collaborating with Dario Fo and Franca Rame, directing Le Beatrici, and writing screenplays including Topo Galileo and Musica per vecchi animali.
- Tributes from writers, actors and political figures highlight his influence and the enduring cultural shorthand of Bar Sport, rooted in Bologna’s bar culture often identified with the Bar Billi at the Meloncello.