Who is Elena Ferrante?
The Mysterious Author, who is best known by the Pen Name, Elena Ferrante.
"If the book is worth something, it should be enough."
-Elena Ferrante
Italy’s
Mysterious
Storyteller
Introduction
Elena is a well-known Italian novelist, born the year of 1943 in Naples, Italy. Elena Ferrante has been her pseudonym since her first book was published in the year 1992. The true identity of this amazing author is not publicly known. However, many people and their creative minds don't stop them from guessing. In reality, only a small few knows Elena's true identity. To name a few, Ozzala, Sandro and Sandra Ferri, are some of the lucky ones. Elena Ferrante's unique method of writing and lack of physical appearances alone are two reasons why I admire her and believe she belongs in our list of the top ten Italian writers thus far.
Elena's unique style of writing has captured the attention of several. Although many people insist Elena chooses anonymity, the author acknowledges the allegation stating, "My books are signed." "Rather, I have withdrawn from the rituals that writers are more or less obliged to perform, to sustain their book by lending them the author's expendable image." Elena does not partake in any conferences or interviews in regards to her work. An Italian journalist named Roberto Saviano nominated Elena Ferrante's novel The Story of The Lost Child for the high-ranking Strega Prize award for the year 2015. The Strega Prize is the most prestigious Italian Literary Award that has been awarded annually since 1947. Although she fell short of the win, many fans thought it was amazing for Elena to be nominated and only hoped for a victory and a public appearance.
Books include:
The days of Abandonment
Troubling Love
My Brilliant Friend
The Story of a New Name
The Story of the Lost Child
The Lost Daughter
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay
Neapolitan novels:
My brilliant friend (1st)
The story of a new Name (2nd)
Those who leave and those who stay (3rd)
The story of the last child (4th and final)
Online resources include:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elena_Ferrante
http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/6370/art-of-fiction-no-228-elena-ferrante
The unknown great - The Sunday Times
"Elena Ferrante's Official Website"
Online Videos:
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=438941219&m=439205376n
Work cited:
"A Rage That Had No End: The Novels of Elena Ferrante - The Los..." The Los Angeles Review of
Books. N.p., 26 Aug. 2013. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
"Elena Ferrante - Author of the Neapolitan Novels." Elena Ferrante. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Sept. 2015.
"Elena Ferrante Explains Why She Publishes Anonymously:." Electric Literature. N.p., 10 Aug. 2015.
Web. 19 Sept. 2015.
"Italian Author Elena Ferrante's Work – Startling, Unflinching Fiction – Speaks for Itself." The Globe
and Mail. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2015.
Lewis-kraus, Gideon, Meghan O'rourke, and Emily Gould. "Who Is Elena Ferrante?" The New York
Times. The New York Times, 21 Aug. 2014. Web. 7 Sept. 2015.
Simpson, Mona. "Elena Ferrante Writes Fiction That Feels Autobiographical. But Who Is She?" N.p.,
n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.
