In this collection of writings and responses gathered from over 30 years of correspondence, the reclusive Italian author addresses her unwavering decision to remain anonymous, her literary inspirations, Italian politics and culture, and the role of the writer (and the publisher) in modern society. Ferrante’s voice is as direct, penetrating, acute, inspiring, and intimate as it is in her acclaimed novels.

This book invites readers into Elena Ferrante’s workshop. It offers a glimpse into the drawers of her writing desk, those drawers from which emerged her three early standalone novels and the four installments of My Brilliant Friend, known in English as the Neapolitan Quartet. Consisting of letters, essays, reflections, and interviews, it is a unique depiction of an author who embodies a consummate passion for writing.

In these pages Ferrante answers many of her readers’ questions she addresses her choice to stand aside and let her books live autonomous lives. She discusses her thoughts and concerns as her novels are being adapted into films. She talks about the challenge of finding concise answers to interview questions. She explains the joys and the struggles of writing, the anguish of composing a story only to discover that that story isn’t good enough. She contemplates her relationship with psychoanalysis, with the cities she has lived in, with motherhood, with feminism, and with her childhood as a storehouse for memories, impressions, and fantasies. The result is a vibrant and intimate self-portrait of a writer at work.


埃莱娜·费兰特是一个笔名，作者真实身份至今是谜。埃莱娜·费兰特1992年发表第一部长篇小说《烦人的爱》，1995年被意大利导演马里奥·马尔托内改编为同名电影；此后相继出版小说《被遗弃的日子》(2002)，与出版社的通信文件集《碎片》（2003），小说《暗处的女儿》（2006）以及儿童小说《夜晚的沙滩》（2007）。

2011年至2014年，费兰特以每年一本的频率出版《我的天才女友》《新名字的故事》《离开的，留下的》和《失踪的孩子》，这四部情节相关的小说被称为“那不勒斯四部曲”。它们以史诗般的体例，描述了两个在那不勒斯穷困社区出生的女孩持续半个世纪的友谊，尖锐又细腻探讨了女性命运的复杂性和深度。

2015年，费兰特被《金融时报》评为“年度女性”。2016年，《时代》周刊将埃莱娜·费兰特选入“具影响力的100位艺术家”。2017年3月，《我的天才女友》被...