{{Short description|Italian journalist, author and politician}} {{Infobox person |image = Miriam Mafai XII legislatura.jpg | name = Miriam Mafai | birth_date = {{Birth date text|2 February 1926}} | birth_place = Florence, Italy | death_date = {{Death date and age text|9 April 2012|2 February 1926}} | death_place = Rome, Italy | occupation = journalist | yearsactive = }}

'''Miriam Mafai''' (2 February 1926 - 9 April 2012) was an Italian journalist, author and politician.

==Life and career== Born in Florence, the daughter of the Scuola Romana artists Mario Mafai and Antonietta Raphaël and the sister of the politician Simona and of the scenographer {{Interlanguage link|Giulia Mafai|it|Giulia Mafai|lt=Giulia}}, Mafai grew up in Rome but Italian racial laws forced her to move first in Viareggio and later in Genoa.<ref name="enc">Mancina, Claudia (2016). "[https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/miriam-mafai_(Dizionario-Biografico)/ Mafai, Miriam]". ''Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani'', Vol. 96. Treccani.</ref><ref name="Rai">{{cite news |title=Miriam Mafai - Nata sotto il segno felice del disordine |url=https://www.raicultura.it/storia/articoli/2020/04/Miriam-Mafai-6deab9e0-dd1c-438b-a41a-06931e14867b.html |access-date=1 March 2022 |work=Rai Cultura |language=it}}</ref>

During the World War II together with her sisters she joined the Italian Communist Party and after the war became a party official and served as a Councillor of the Municipality of Pescara.<ref name="enc" /><ref name="bb">{{cite news |title=È morta la giornalista e scrittrice Miriam Mafai, la «ragazza rossa» che firmò il Diario italiano |url=https://st.ilsole24ore.com/art/notizie/2012-04-09/morta-giornalista-scrittrice-miriam-161501.shtml |access-date=1 March 2022 |work=Il Sole 24 Ore |date=9 April 2012 |language=it}}</ref> She debuted as a journalist in 1956, working as a reporter for the magazine ''Vie Nuove''.<ref name="enc" /><ref name="Rai" /> After working for ''L'Unità'' she was chief editor of the feminist magazine ''Noi donne'' between 1964 and 1969.<ref name="enc" /> She was a co-founder of the newspaper ''La Repubblica'', with which she collaborated until her death.<ref name="enc" /> She was also active as an essayist, whose favorite themes were the role of women in the society and the history of Communism.<ref name="enc" /><ref name="bb"/> In 2004 she briefly returned to the politics, being elected to the Chamber of Deputies with Democratic Alliance.<ref name="enc" />

During her career Mafai was the recipient of several accolades and honours, including the title of Grand Officer of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2003.<ref name="enc" /> She had a long relationship with communist politician Giancarlo Pajetta, from 1962 until his death in 1990.<ref name="enc" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Miriam Mafai, dall'amore trentennale con Pajetta alla delusione dell'esperienza in Parlamento |url=https://st.ilsole24ore.com/art/notizie/2012-04-09/miriam-mafai-amore-trentennale-183625.shtml?uuid=AboQAZLF |access-date=1 March 2022 |work=Il Sole 24 Ore|date=9 April 2012 |language=it}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/miriam-mafai/ Miriam Mafai] at Treccani *{{IMDb name|nm4399110}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mafai, Miriam}} Category:1931 births Category:2012 deaths Category:Italian essayists Category:20th-century Italian journalists Category:20th-century Italian women politicians Category:Politicians from Florence Category:Italian Communist Party politicians Category:Democratic Alliance (Italy) politicians