Bompiani, Schneider e le altre: voci di donne, pseudonimi e scherzi d’autore nel laboratorio del «Semplice» (1995-1997)

The following article analises women writers’ contributions published on «Il Semplice» between 1995 and 1997. First, I look at the styles and the recurrent topics of the short stories, then I consider them within the wider context of mainstream literature by Italian women writers in the Nineties, especially writers who were representative of a postfeminist aesthetics. In the second part, the article looks in depth at the “pseudonyms’ issue”, by investigating possible reasons behind the choice of several male authors to publish under a female name. This research is based on original letters exchanged between the journal board and Daniele Benati; thanks to these documents it has been possible to reconstruct comments and thoughts behind the editing of some of the journal’s publications. In the conclusion, I discuss how the editorial board addressed gender-related issues, rejecting any kind of political and social engagement as it had been known during the Sixties and Seventies. In the second part, the article looks in depth at the “pseudonyms’issue” behind some of the journal’s publications, by investigating possible reasons behind the choice of several male authors to publish under a female name. This research is based on original letters sent to Daniele Benati by the journal board; thanks to these documents it has been possible to reconstruct comments and thoughts behind the construction of some of the journal’s issues. In the conclusion, I discuss how the editorial board addressed gender-related issues, rejecting any kind of political and social engagement as it was typical of the years of the so-called riflusso