INSANE: 2 | Vintage Vibes

Elena Ferrante and Marian Keyes among authors competing in Eurovision book contest

As musicians prepare for the Eurovision song contest on Saturday, entries for its literary counterpart have been announced

The Guardian - UK · May 12, 2023

The power of anonymity: as Twitter celebrity Dril reveals his identity, an Elena Ferrante expert explains what he's lost

Scrolling through US comedian and social media phenomenon Dril’s Twitter account can be a confusing experience for those, like me, who don’t share the same references to “Weird Twitter”, videogaming, fast food, obsessive branding and 1990s popular culture.

The Conversation · Apr 26, 2023

Resistance fighter, novelist - and Sartre’s favourite agony aunt: rediscovering Alba Céspedes

Championed by Elena Ferrante, Céspedes’s neo-realist classic The Forbidden Notebook is being reissued 70 years after it was first published. It still speaks to women’s lives today

The Guardian - UK · Mar 25, 2023

The power of women: acclaimed Italian author Elena Ferrante on patriarchy and protest in Iran

The award-winning novelist talks to Shiva Akhavan Rad about the fight for equality in Iran

The Guardian - UK · Nov 26, 2022

A Horse at Night: On Writing by Amina Cain review – reading as a sensual act

The novelist’s atmospheric evocation of favourite scenes from others’ books strips them of their weight

The Guardian - UK · Nov 1, 2022

Kamila Shamsie's Best of Friends is an affecting novel of friendship, power and ethics

Best of Friends, the latest novel from Women’s Prize-winner Kamila Shamsie, explores complexities of power and ethics within an enduring female friendship. Focused on two central characters, Zahra and Maryam, the novel considers questions of integrity, loyalty, and platonic love.

The Conversation · Oct 10, 2022

Five books to read that bring Naples to life

Napoli, or Naples for English speakers, is my favourite city. It’s a city of stark contrasts – glorious architecture competing with multi-layered graffiti, hidden piazze surrounded by piled-up rubbish.

The Conversation · Aug 2, 2022

My Brilliant Friend’s final scene is an exercise in unbearable pathos

Lenù has spent three seasons desperate for freedom in HBO’s sumptuous Elena Ferrante adaptation, but when she finally boards a plane to a new life, she’s more confined than ever. In her new TV column, Amanda Whiting examines the meaning of all those wasted air miles

The Independent UK · Apr 26, 2022

True writing is a convulsive act: inside the mind of Elena Ferrante

Where does great writing come from? How does the reading of writers shape their work? Perhaps the great writers are true originals, free from influence?

The Conversation · Apr 14, 2022

Review: 'In the Margins,' by Elena Ferrante, translated from the Italian by Ann Goldstein

An illuminating collection of essays on the joy of reading and the art of writing by the acclaimed Italian novelist.

Tribune News Service · Mar 23, 2022