Books
20 January 2024

Il buon uso della distanza

by Di Battista Vito
Il buon uso della distanza

Iannas Award winner 2024

 

Paris, 1976. Pierre Renard, a 27-year-old who has moved to France from Florence, works at the publishing house that published his debut novel. When his editor tells him they’re not interested in his new book, Pierre fears that his career might be over.What appears to be a failure will unexpectedly turn into an insane opportunity. That very night, Pierre receives a letter from an unknown woman who only identifies herself as ‘Madame.’ She offers to pay him to write novels inspired by her letters, but they must never meet, and each novel must be published under a different pseudonym. Though initially reluctant, Pierre eventually agrees.Over the years, Pierre will bend the rules of the world around him, concocting schemes, exploiting others’ weaknesses and dark affairs, orchestrating vendettas, and creating literary intrigues about authors who don’t exist—all to ensure that his novels are deemed worthy of publication. Meanwhile, his life becomes entangled with those who, to varying degrees of awareness, are part of his shadowy career: Colette, the madam of an illegal brothel chosen by Madame as her direct spokesperson; Philippe, Pierre’s only true friend; Louis, an enigmatic and captivating young man with whom Pierre reluctantly falls in love; and Philippe’s girlfriend Claire, an aspiring actress who is the only one to understand that what ‘many call a gift is actually a life-long sentence.’ It is to Claire that, after years of deceiving everyone and concealing parts of his life, Pierre finally reveals the whole truth.On that fateful day in 1976, when everything began, he had no idea that Madame harbored her own hidden agenda. An agenda fueled by resentment and family secrets that would ultimately shatter Pierre’s life.

  • Publishing house Gallucci Bros
  • Year of publication 2023
  • Number of pages 400
  • ISBN 9791222103068
  • Foreign Rights foreignrights@otago.it
  • Price 16.50

Di Battista Vito

Born in 1986, Vito di Battista works as a literary agent and translator. He lived in Florence, where he graduated in Comparative Literature. Then he moved to Alma Mater Studiorum in Bologna, focusing on American and English poetry. His first novel, L’ultima diva dice addio, was published in 2018 by SEM and was shortlisted for several awards. His second book, Il buon uso della distanza, is out with Gallucci in November 2023.

Il buon uso della distanza
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