Rounding Up!
This past week three of our favorite authors were in the US and Canada to promote their most recent books and to meet their American readers.
Over the weekend of 25 April in Montreal Domenico Starnone was at the Blue Metropolis festival in conversation with Professor Eugenio Bolongaro from McGill University. Professor Bolongaro led Domenico over a range of subjects, on which he discoursed ably, demonstrating the wit and intelligence that anyone who has read his FIRST EXECUTION no doubt expects.
During question and answer time, the Italian ambassador to Canada Gabriele Sardo shared some interesting personal observations with the audience along the lines of: reading was dangerous as it provokes doubt and stirs the imagination when what is needed are certainties; reading was useless when compared with direct experience: for example, if one writes or reads the word “punch” one has no idea what a punch really is: but if one goes out and punches somebody, then, and only then, can one know what a punch is. Domenico seemed only slightly taken aback, as if, after all, a similar observation was to be expected. His response was an eloquent defense of the imagination and of a certain form of healthy doubt. He concluded by saying: “to read about a punch, no matter the context, always does one good; to receive a punch, or worse still, to give someone a punch, always does one harm.”
This listener couldn’t quite believe his ears as the ambassador was speaking. Fortunately, to allay any fears that such an erudite contribution to the conversation be lost forever, RAI International filmed the exchange together with the rest of the conversation, and as soon as they make it available we’ll be sure to let you know.
At around about the same time that Domenico was arriving in Montreal, Muriel Barbery was torn from her Kyoto idyll and thrown into the post-postmodern Angelino melee. She participated in a panel entitled “Fiction: Window on the World” together with Jonathan Rabb and Lisa See, among others, as part of the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. She was then whisked to a VIP reception, conversation and cocktail at the William Turner Gallery in Santa Monica organized by Julie Robinson at Literary Affairs. Monica Carter from Skylight books in LA has written up the event for Salonica. Read>>
Muriel had only been on US soil for about 24 hours when one LATFOB attendee (aka "gentlereader") tweeted: “The Festival of Books was pretty great this year. I have a girl crush on Muriel Barbery!”
And that pretty much set the tone for Muriel’s whole trip: anyone who met her, heard her speak, exchanged pleasantries with her, and strolled with her, ended up with a little crush and unbridled admiration for her acumen, authenticity, talent, and modesty.
Salwa Al Neimi, author of the hot-and-getting-hotter PROOF OF THE HONEY, and Domenico Starnone arrived in New York City on Monday, Muriel on Sunday evening. Thus began a Europa Editions trifecta at this year’s PEN World Voices festival.
PEN has lots of multimedia material up on their web site featuring Salwa, Muriel and Domenico, including an audio recording of the "Resonances: Writers on the Great Works" panel moderated by the fabulous Esther Allen, in which both Salwa and Muriel participated; photos and audio of Muriel at the big Revolution/Evolution opening reading at Cooper Union Great Hall and her Conversation with Adam Gopnik from Thursday night; and there's an exhaustive photo gallery (how on earth do you get to all these events, Beowulf?) of parties, panels, conversations, and receptions where our authors, editors and publishers repeatedly pop up. The Huffington Post has a great report of the Resonances program with Salwa, Muriel, George Packer, José Manuel Prieto, and Esther Allen. Read>
Salwa spoke through interpreter Daniel Sherr at her panels; Katie Mace and Michael Reynolds lent their voices to her readings. During the week, Salwa was expertly interviewed by the lovely Anna Swank of ArteEast for a video-taped special that will be going up on the Words Without Borders site over the next couple of weeks, and by WKCR’s Anne Cammon for a program that will be aired later this month.
What to say about the whole, busy, wonderful week?!
Working with lots of international authors we don’t often get the chance to spend quality time with them in a city as fabulous as New York on an occasion as great as PEN World Voices. Publishers Sandro Ferri and Sandra Ozzola Ferri were out from the Rome office for the week, together with Editor in Chief Michael Reynolds. They were joined by our New York publisher Kent Carroll and our new editorial and publicity assistant, Katie Mace. And whether it was chewing over a whopping big steak at Peter Luger’s in Williamsburg, ordering a chicken schnitzel at Fairway's upstairs restaurant on the Upper West Side, racing Salwa Al Neimi from one interview on 118th street to another on 28th, strolling, lost in conversation, through central park at dusk following a glitzy reception at hosted by our friends at the French Cultrual Services, or listening to our authors in action at panels, readings and conversations, a good time was had by one and all.
The good cheer was helped along by some excellent news that reached us on the Wednesday afternoon. Muriel Barbery’s THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG, which had already broken all recent records for a work of literary fiction in translation and graced us with many moments of delight, reached a new high: #7 on the New York Times bestseller list. The leap has been in large part due to a ringing endorsement by Diane Rehm on her syndicated radio program, Muriel’s presence in America, and, as always, the incredible effects of word of mouth—readers' enthusiasm for a great read still proving to be the number 1 factor in a book's success.
PEN World Voices is always great fun, always challenging, exciting, and thought provoking. This is festival director Caro Llewellyn's third year at the helm and she and her staff do such a great job. With budget cuts, economic crisis, swine flu, and the usual last-minute cancellations to deal with, it couldn’t have been an easy festival to run this year. But you wouldn’t have known it! The mood was upbeat, the participants as fascinating as ever, the organization top notch, and the turnout further proof (as if it were needed) that it is time to bury once and for all the hoary platitude that Americans are not interested in international literature.
Over the weekend of 25 April in Montreal Domenico Starnone was at the Blue Metropolis festival in conversation with Professor Eugenio Bolongaro from McGill University. Professor Bolongaro led Domenico over a range of subjects, on which he discoursed ably, demonstrating the wit and intelligence that anyone who has read his FIRST EXECUTION no doubt expects.
During question and answer time, the Italian ambassador to Canada Gabriele Sardo shared some interesting personal observations with the audience along the lines of: reading was dangerous as it provokes doubt and stirs the imagination when what is needed are certainties; reading was useless when compared with direct experience: for example, if one writes or reads the word “punch” one has no idea what a punch really is: but if one goes out and punches somebody, then, and only then, can one know what a punch is. Domenico seemed only slightly taken aback, as if, after all, a similar observation was to be expected. His response was an eloquent defense of the imagination and of a certain form of healthy doubt. He concluded by saying: “to read about a punch, no matter the context, always does one good; to receive a punch, or worse still, to give someone a punch, always does one harm.”
This listener couldn’t quite believe his ears as the ambassador was speaking. Fortunately, to allay any fears that such an erudite contribution to the conversation be lost forever, RAI International filmed the exchange together with the rest of the conversation, and as soon as they make it available we’ll be sure to let you know.
At around about the same time that Domenico was arriving in Montreal, Muriel Barbery was torn from her Kyoto idyll and thrown into the post-postmodern Angelino melee. She participated in a panel entitled “Fiction: Window on the World” together with Jonathan Rabb and Lisa See, among others, as part of the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. She was then whisked to a VIP reception, conversation and cocktail at the William Turner Gallery in Santa Monica organized by Julie Robinson at Literary Affairs. Monica Carter from Skylight books in LA has written up the event for Salonica. Read>>
Muriel had only been on US soil for about 24 hours when one LATFOB attendee (aka "gentlereader") tweeted: “The Festival of Books was pretty great this year. I have a girl crush on Muriel Barbery!”
And that pretty much set the tone for Muriel’s whole trip: anyone who met her, heard her speak, exchanged pleasantries with her, and strolled with her, ended up with a little crush and unbridled admiration for her acumen, authenticity, talent, and modesty.
Salwa Al Neimi, author of the hot-and-getting-hotter PROOF OF THE HONEY, and Domenico Starnone arrived in New York City on Monday, Muriel on Sunday evening. Thus began a Europa Editions trifecta at this year’s PEN World Voices festival.
PEN has lots of multimedia material up on their web site featuring Salwa, Muriel and Domenico, including an audio recording of the "Resonances: Writers on the Great Works" panel moderated by the fabulous Esther Allen, in which both Salwa and Muriel participated; photos and audio of Muriel at the big Revolution/Evolution opening reading at Cooper Union Great Hall and her Conversation with Adam Gopnik from Thursday night; and there's an exhaustive photo gallery (how on earth do you get to all these events, Beowulf?) of parties, panels, conversations, and receptions where our authors, editors and publishers repeatedly pop up. The Huffington Post has a great report of the Resonances program with Salwa, Muriel, George Packer, José Manuel Prieto, and Esther Allen. Read>
Salwa spoke through interpreter Daniel Sherr at her panels; Katie Mace and Michael Reynolds lent their voices to her readings. During the week, Salwa was expertly interviewed by the lovely Anna Swank of ArteEast for a video-taped special that will be going up on the Words Without Borders site over the next couple of weeks, and by WKCR’s Anne Cammon for a program that will be aired later this month.
What to say about the whole, busy, wonderful week?!
Working with lots of international authors we don’t often get the chance to spend quality time with them in a city as fabulous as New York on an occasion as great as PEN World Voices. Publishers Sandro Ferri and Sandra Ozzola Ferri were out from the Rome office for the week, together with Editor in Chief Michael Reynolds. They were joined by our New York publisher Kent Carroll and our new editorial and publicity assistant, Katie Mace. And whether it was chewing over a whopping big steak at Peter Luger’s in Williamsburg, ordering a chicken schnitzel at Fairway's upstairs restaurant on the Upper West Side, racing Salwa Al Neimi from one interview on 118th street to another on 28th, strolling, lost in conversation, through central park at dusk following a glitzy reception at hosted by our friends at the French Cultrual Services, or listening to our authors in action at panels, readings and conversations, a good time was had by one and all.
The good cheer was helped along by some excellent news that reached us on the Wednesday afternoon. Muriel Barbery’s THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG, which had already broken all recent records for a work of literary fiction in translation and graced us with many moments of delight, reached a new high: #7 on the New York Times bestseller list. The leap has been in large part due to a ringing endorsement by Diane Rehm on her syndicated radio program, Muriel’s presence in America, and, as always, the incredible effects of word of mouth—readers' enthusiasm for a great read still proving to be the number 1 factor in a book's success.
PEN World Voices is always great fun, always challenging, exciting, and thought provoking. This is festival director Caro Llewellyn's third year at the helm and she and her staff do such a great job. With budget cuts, economic crisis, swine flu, and the usual last-minute cancellations to deal with, it couldn’t have been an easy festival to run this year. But you wouldn’t have known it! The mood was upbeat, the participants as fascinating as ever, the organization top notch, and the turnout further proof (as if it were needed) that it is time to bury once and for all the hoary platitude that Americans are not interested in international literature.