Elena Ferrante – or better, the author disguising her/his identity behind this name – has always stressed the importance of her anonymity in shielding the Neapolitan community from which she draws her inspiration and freeing her from the “anxiety of notoriety”, she wrote, giving her the opportunity to remove herself “from all forms of social pressure or obligation. Not to feel tied down to what could become one’s public image. To concentrate exclusively and with complete freedom on writing and its strategies.” Obviously, this strategy worked, and, following years of impressive success with the production of the bestseller Neapolitan novels, and after having been named one of the world’s most influential people in 2016 by Time magazine, Ferrante has been approached by Guardian Weekend magazine to become a regular columnist.
In her weekly “bold, anxious exercise in writing”, as she described it, the author will share her thoughts on a wide range of topics, including childhood, aging, gender and, in her debut article, first love. Ferrante will write in Italian, her mother tongue, and her columns will be translated by Ann Goldstein her regular collaborator.
Guardian Weekend’s editor Melissa Denes commented: “I’m thrilled to be working with Elena Ferrante on her first newspaper column – a new adventure for her and for Guardian Weekend magazine. Every week, she will be writing a personal piece, covering subjects from sex to aging to the things that make her laugh. We can’t wait to see where she will take us.”
Ilona Catani Scarlett