Entertainment

Elena Ferrante: Backlash as journalist claims to have cracked mystery of elusive Italian novelist

 The Neapolitan Novels follow the lives of two girls in Naples
 The Neapolitan Novels follow the lives of two girls in Naples  The Neapolitan Novels follow the lives of two girls in Naples

ONE of modern literature's greatest mysteries might have been solved by a sleuthing Italian journalist - the identity of elusive author Elena Ferrante.

The best-selling author of the Neapolitan Novels which follow the lives of two girls in Naples, Ferrante is a huge success, but the true identity of the limelight-shunning scribe has remained a secret, possibly until now.

Claudio Gatti, a journalist for financial newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, has claimed he has likely discovered the identity of the novelist, whose legion of fans include US presidential contender Hillary Clinton.

He wrote that real estate records involving the purported actual writer, as well as revenue and payment details involving Ferrante's publishing house Edizioni e/o, indicate that Ferrante is a Rome-based book translator married to a Neapolitan writer.

His article was also published by The New York Review of Books, which headlined its version "Elena Ferrante: An Answer?"

The reporter wrote: "After a months-long investigation it is now possible to make a powerful case for Ferrante's true identity."

Edizioni e/o has refused to comment on the claims, with one of its owners claiming the investigation constituted an invasion of privacy of both Ferrante and the publisher.

Gatti's detective work has prompted a widespread backlash, with critics questioning whether the age-old practice of using a 'nom de plume' ought to be subjected to such scrutiny.

Other authors to adopt a pseudonym to release work include JK Rowling, who pens a crime series under the name Robert Galbraith.

Rowling was attempting to cloak her fame, but supporters of keeping Ferrante anonymous say she was doing so to protect her privacy. In previous interviews conducted in secret, the writer suggested she would quit should her identity be revealed.

Authors to race to Ferrante's defence include Roxanne Gay, who tweeted: "I've never wondered about Elena Ferrante's true identity. Who cares? That info doesn't change my life. Or make her books better. Ban men."