There will be a bit of Italy in the next issues of The Guardian, the historic British newspaper founded in 1821. The Neapolitan author Elena Ferrante in fact, he will have his own space as a columnist. A prestigious achievement that testifies to the great consideration for the writer. Not only in Italy, but also in the rest of the world.
Elena Ferrante and the success with The brilliant friend
Born in Naples in 1943, Elena Ferrante is in truth a pseudonym. The true identity of the writer is in fact unknown, and the only thing we know is the city of origin and the year of birth. The name, according to some, would be a tribute to Elsa Morante, one of the most appreciated authors by Ferrante herself.
Despite her anonymity, the Neapolitan writer has managed to establish herself in the panorama of Italian literature, and beyond. In 1992 the first novel entitled Harassing love, Followed by The days of abandonment (2002) and The dark daughter (2006). But it was in 2011 that Ferrante managed to conquer audiences and critics with The brilliant friend, first volume of the homonymous series.
Between 2012 and 2014, the remaining three volumes come out in sequence: History of the new surname, History of those who flee and those who remain e Story of the lost child. Tetralogy manages to sell millions of copies worldwide, especially in the USA and Canada. But what is hidden in the pages of The brilliant friend? The protagonists of the long story are two Neapolitan girls, born and raised in one of the many districts of the city after World War II. Between school, work and various loves, the great friendship between the two protagonists is narrated over the years. All seasoned with a long series of characters, places and situations in which it is also evident the great change in the country between the XNUMXs and today.
From The Guardian to HBO: the writer's collaborations
The success of the series led Elena Ferrante to be considered among the best contemporary authors, coming to have a space of its own on the The Guardian. In fact, it will start soon a weekly column in which the writer will address various topics: from love to childhood, through themes such as friendship, aging and other gender issues. Articles will be translated from Ann Goldstein, faithful collaborator of Ferrante. The wait is long, as evidenced by Melissa Denes, editor of the newspaper, who said she was enthusiastic about collaborating with one of the most important authors of the last decade.
This is just one of the many awards and accolades that the writer is receiving. In 2016 the Time entered it among the 100 most influential artists in the world, while a TV series on The brilliant friend. RAI produced it with the collaboration of HBO, famous American network known above all for the series de The Throne of Swords. The release date is still uncertain, but filming seems to be completed. All that remains is to wait a few months, perhaps deceiving the wait with the new column in The Guardian.
