Renzo Novatore

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Renzo Novatore, born Abele Rizieri Ferrari on May 12, 1890, in Arcola, Liguria, Italy, was an Italian anarchist thinker, poet, and militant. He is best known for his posthumously published book Toward the Creative Nothing and for his role in early 20th‑century anarchist and anti‑fascist movements. He was part of the individualist and egoist strands of anarchism and connected with ultra-modernist futurist ideas.

Growing up in a poor family, Novatore left school early and educated himself in poetry and philosophy. He joined local anarchist circles and embraced the belief in personal freedom and self‑determination, influenced by Max Stirner, Friedrich Nietzsche, and other thinkers.

Novatore ran afoul of the authorities several times. In 1910 he was accused (though not proven) of burning a church and spent three months in prison. In 1911 he was arrested for vandalism. He also supported the idea of expropriation to meet daily needs. He began writing for anarchist papers in 1914 and contributed to various journals.

During World War I he was drafted but soon discharged. In 1918, as the war neared its end, he deserted the army and was sentenced to death, then went into hiding. He was married with two children; his younger son died in 1918, and he returned home briefly for a goodbye.

In the late 1910s, Novatore helped organize and lead anarchist and anarcho‑futurist activities in La Spezia and worked with anti‑fascist groups like the Arditi del Popolo. He wrote for many anarchist outlets and helped publish the magazine Vertice, which is mostly lost today.

As fascism rose in Italy, he went underground. In 1922 he joined the gang of Sante Pollastro and was killed in an ambush by the carabinieri near Genoa on November 29, 1922; Pollastro escaped. On his body were false documents and weapons, including a handgun, a grenade, and a cyanide ring.

Novatore’s ideas focused on the power of the individual and the rejection of all forms of oppression. He argued that true revolution would create new social and personal wealth rather than merely change rulers. His writings have influenced later insurrectionary and nihilist strands of anarchism. His enduring legacy is his call for a bold, individualist anarchy that challenges all authority and aims to redefine how people live and relate to society.