L'anno salgariano "The Year of Emilio Salgari" begins on April 25th 2011, the 100th anniversary of his death and ends on August 21st, 2012 the 150th anniversary of his birth. There will be numerous events scheduled throughout Italy to commemorate his life and work.

On May 11th, Il Museo Nazionale del Cinema will premiere the docudrama Emilio Salgari: Il corsaro della penna by Igor Mendolia e Davide Valentini.

Malaysian film makers have been urged to produce a movie from the famous novel ‘Sandokan’ a fictional pirate of the late 19th century, created by Italian author Emilio Salgari.

He is the protagonist of eleven adventure novels and is known throughout the South China Sea as “The Tiger of Malaysia”.

In subsequent novels they battle against James Brooke, the Rajah of Sarawak, and also travel to India to measure themselves against the Thugs, a notorious band of stranglers, devoted to the goddess Kali.

Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit said Salgari who authored the novels was very popular and proved that contents from the Malay world can be turned into rich text appreciated by international readers.

“The struggles of Sandokan has created a phenomena which has a great impact among Italians and Europeans in general, especially among the young,” he told reporters after launching a novel titled ‘Sandokan: Lanun Malaysia (Sandokan: The Pirates of Malaysia) at MaTic here Tuesday.

The programme organised by Institut Terjemahan Negara (ITNM) and the Italian Embassy in Malaysia was held in conjunction with “The Week of the Italian Language in the World” and attended by the Italian Ambassador to Malaysia, Folco de Luca Gabrielli.

Sandokan, the animated series was released in 1992 by BRB International and broadcast in the United Kingdom on Channel 4. This children’s animated show was loosely based on Salgari’s novels. In the show Sandokan (here an anthropomorphized tiger) is an usurped prince who travels the seas as a pirate seeking to reclaim his rightful throne from the Rajah of Sarawak.

The first nine episodes of the series are available in three DVD volumes in the United Kingdom while an animated movie, The Princess and the Pirate, was released in 1995.

Another animated series was released in 1998 from a co-production among RAI or Mediaset in 1993-94, Studio Sek and Mondo TV broadcast in Italy on Italia 1. This series was composed into three parts: Sandokan, la tigre della Malesia (Sandokan, The Tiger of Malaysia, produced in 1998), Sandokan, la tigre ruggisce ancora (Sandokan, The Tiger Roars Again, 2000), Sandokan, le due tigri (Sandokan, The Two Tigers, 2004).

The adventures of this 26 episode cartoon series is based on the novels of the famous Italian novelist Emilio Salgari (1862-1911).

The story takes place in the second half of the nineteenth century, and is situated in the Malaysian archipelago, Borneo, and India.

Co-produced with RAI Italy, and TF1 France, the series achieved a big success such that a second series was decided to be produced on this character.

An interactive computer game, a video special, a sticker album, along with other merchandising articles such as books, toys, shirts, bags etc are now available based on the series.

Source: Bernama

Bedi will be honoured at a special ceremony, organised by the Italian consul general in Mumbai, Giampaolo Cutillo, early in December, a spokesperson for the actor said here on Tuesday.

The 64-year-old actor's association with Italy goes back a long way, beginning in 1976 with the success his 'Sandokan' TV series, the saga of a freedom fighting Asian pirate during British colonial times who falls in love with an English girl.

The series broke viewership records across Europe, and made Bedi a household name internationally. Since then, he has starred in many other Italian TV series and films.

Accepting his knighthood, Bedi expressed deep gratitude to the Italian republic. "It's the perfect symbol of all the love that Italy has showered me with for decades, ever since I played the title role of the 'Sandokan' TV series, continuing till today."

"Awards are valued by every actor, but this knighthood is extra special for me as it comes from the Italian state," he said. Bedi said he has always promoted projects between India and Italy because he believes both countries are similar in many ways – "the warmth of people, shared family values, rich cultural heritage, great cinematic traditions, tremendous cuisines, even talking with animated hands!"

"Italy has a very special place in my heart," he said adding that he plans to release the DVD of the 'Sandokan' series dubbed in Hindi. agencies

The Times of India

ROMA - Proprio nell’anno della tigre, Sandokan e compagni debuttano in Malesia nella lingua delle tigri di Mompracem narrate dal grande scrittore veronese Emilio Salgari (1862-1911). Si tratta di I pirati della Malesia, tradotto in malese dall’Institut Terjemahan Negara Malaysia (ITNM) e presentato in occasione del Kuala Lampur International Book Fair. La ITNM ha usato come base la traduzione inglese della ROH Press, in vendita dal 2007 con il titolo Sandokan: the Pirates of Malaysia. E così, per la prima volta, le avventure dei pirati salgariani sono in vendita nel Borneo, nelle lingue di Sandokan.

Fervono, intanto, in tutta Italia i preparativi per il centenario della scomparsa di Salgari, che mori' suicida il 25 aprile 1911 a Torino, in gravi difficolta' economiche e devastato dalla malattia mentale della moglie Ida. A Verona l'associazione ''Vivi La Valpolicella'' ha promosso un convegno di studi che si terra' il 22 ottobre nel Palazzo della Gran Guardia, a cui parteciperanno i maggiori esperti salgariani. Anche Torino, dove il padre del Corsaro Nero si rifugio' in cerca di fortuna, lo ricordera' con varie iniziative nel corso del 2011, tra cui un convegno di studi letterari che vedra' la collaborazione delle universita' torinese e veronese, con il coordinamento del Museo della Scuola e del Libro per l'infanzia di Palazzo Barolo.

La Stampa

Emilio Salgari merupakan penulis berbangsa Itali yang mewujudkan walak Sandokan – seorang lanun yang bermaharajalela di kepulauan Borneo sekitar kurun ke-19.

Terbitan pertama Sandokan ialah pada 1883 dalam bahasa itali dan dialih bahasa ke bahasa Inggeris atas permintaan ramai oleh ROH Press.
Novel Sandokan turut diterjemah ke bahasa Melayu oleh Institut Terjemahan Negara Malaysia pada 2010.

Keistimewaan bahan penulisan Emilio Salgari ini ialah watak Sandokan diperincikan sebagai seorang lanun berbangsa Melayu dan melalui salah safu siri novel Sandokan. Emilio Salgari member getaran watak Sandokan “Tiger of Malaysia” atau Harimau Malaysia.

Melalui Sandokan: The Tigers of Mompracem asal kelahiran Sandokan digambarkan sebagai satu tempat yang dinamakan Mompracem, di kawasan Sarawak dan tidak terlalu jauh dari wilayah Kalimantan Barat atau Kalimantan Timur.

Antara paparan iain Salgari akan kepulauan Borneo melalui novel bersiri Sandokan ini ialah peperangan di antara Sandokan dan rakannya Yanez dengan James Brooke atau digambarkan oleh Salgari sebagai “The Exterminator, the dreaded White Rajah of Sarawak.”
Jelas bahawa Sandokan merupakan satu bahan yang mengandungi unsure-unsur sejarah dan perkaitan di antara dunia sastera Timur dan Barat.

Pengembaraan serta imaginasi Emilio Salgari telah Berjaya menggambarkan serba sedikit sejarah Borneo khususnya melalui catatan behau mengenal persengketaan di antara Sandokan dan empayar Brooke.

Sebagai usaha untuk memaparkan koleksi Sandokan oleh Emilio Salgari untuk bacaan ramai. Pustaka Negeri Sarawak sedang mempamerakan koleksi – koleksi Sandokan di Perkhidmatan Koleksi Khas Pustaka Negeri Sarawak.

Koleksi yang dipamerkan merupakan versi bahasa inggeris yang telah disserankao oleh wakil penerbitan ROH Press kepada Pustaka Negeri Sarawak.

Tajuk novel bersiri Sandokan yang dipamerkan ialah Sandokan: The Tigers of Mompracem dan Sandokan: The Pirates of Malaysia.

Peminat novel pengembaraan disyorkan membaca Sandokan kerana Sandokan bukan sahaja bahan bacaan yang berunsur dramatic dan penu “adventure” tatapi juga bahan bacaan yang memaparkan karakter sejarah Borneo yang digambarkan dari perspektif seorang penulis barat.

Untuk maklumat lanjut mengenai siri pengembaraan Sandokan ini sila hubungi Perkhidmatan KoIeksi Khas, Pustaka Negeri Sarawak di 082-442000 sambungan 347 atau hantar e-mei kepada librarian@sarawaknet.gov.my

Utusan Sarawak, April 20th, 2010