Gianni Guadalupi (1943-2022) was an Italian writer and editor best known internationally as co-author, with Alberto Manguel, of The Dictionary of Imaginary Places, a celebrated reference work cataloguing the invented lands of world literature.
First published in the 1980s and expanded in later editions, the Dictionary treats fictional realms, from Oz and Lilliput to Middle-earth and beyond, as if they were real geography, complete with descriptions, histories, and maps. It became a beloved work of literary imagination.
Guadalupi worked extensively as an editor in Italian publishing and wrote and edited many books on history, exploration, and travel, often drawn to the curious and the marvelous.
His collaboration with Manguel secured his place among readers who delight in the geography of fiction.
