About Claudio
From Verteneglio to Bombay, to Accra.
Claudio Turina was born in Verteneglio, Istria, and left as an exile. A poet and writer, his literary inspiration goes hand in hand with the religious search that led him to meet Mother Teresa of Calcutta and become a Lay Missionary of Charity.
In Bombay he served at Shanti Daan, the House of Peace for the dying founded by Mother Teresa. Then the missions: homes for street children in Bombay, the AIDS project at the Cumura leprosarium in Guinea-Bissau, a hostel for farmers' children and the electrification of Chinchavito in Peru, water wells in Mbeya and sponsorships of orphans in Tanzania.
On 27 February 2007 he founded the Gocce d'Amore Universale association in Venice. Today his work is mainly with City of God in Accra, the Archdiocese project led by Fr. Subash Chittilappilly.
Recognition
- 2008 Special mention of the Martin Luther King Human Rights Prize, awarded at the Campidoglio in Rome by the Christian Evangelical Baptist Union of Italy.
- 2008 Special prize “A poet for peace”, Trieste International Poetry Prize.
- Trieste First prize of the Salotto dei Poeti for the short essay “Il Primato del Papa e l'Unità dei Cristiani”.
- 2011 Second prize, Tulliola International Prize (Formia), for the novel “Sabbia”.
- 2024 The Verteneglio community dedicates two pages to him in the book for the 50 years of its Italian Cultural Centre.
The books
Claudio's books support orphans and projects: the photo reportage “Come le Pietre Inca” (2004), the chronicle “Servo Inutile” (2006), “India – Shanti Daan” (2007), “City of God”, “Il Piccolo Istriano”, “Fra te e me, anima mia” (in Italian). Find them at the markets or ask Claudio.
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