Luigi Malerba (11 November 1927 – 8 May 2008), born Luigi Bonardi, was an Italian author who wrote short stories, historical novels, and screenplays. He have been part of the Neoavanguardia and who co-founded Gruppo 63, a literary movement based on Marxism and Structuralism. Some of his most famous novels are La scoperta dell'alfabeto, The serpent, What Is This Buzzing, Do You Hear It Too?, Dopo il pescecane, Testa d'argento, Il fuoco greco, Le pietre volanti, Roman ghosts and Ithaca Forever: Penelope speaks. He also wrote several stories and novels for kids with Tonino Guerra.

He was the first writer to win the Prix Médicis étranger in 1970. He also won the Brancati Prize in 1979, the it:Premio Mondello in 1987, the Grinzane Cavour Prize in 1989 (with it:Stefano Jacomuzzi and Raffaele La Capria), the Viareggio Prize in 1992, the Flaiano Prize in 1990 and the it:Premio Feronia-Città di Fiano in 1992. His name popped up among the candidates to the Nobel prize for literature in 2000 </ref> [1].