Aunt Suelita and the Devil’s Project on “La Nuova Sardegna”

Blog d’Autore di Luciano Piras
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On “La Nuova Sardegna’ Blog D’Autore, @ddurudduru, by Luciano Piras, you can find a short video of presentation of my novel Aunt Suelita and the Devil’s Project. I do thank Luciano Piras for his warm encouragement as well as for his high professionalism. His blog is dedicated to presenting new books – a very cultural window, which B39 appreciates so much. All the best, Luciano!

My acknowledgements as in the book: I wrote Aunt Suelita and the Devil’s Project in 2009, in Italy. My professional life and my self-confidence were collapsing back then. My Milanese agent told me that the novel was too business oriented (in terms of language, by the way). It wasn’t lyrical enough but too dry, and all those devils! Moreover, why was it about Argentina? Wasn’t Italy good enough? And why was a woman telling the story? Are you gay? Maybe, we can use this aspect to …

The second agent warmly suggested that I create a false scoop to launch the book. I would be spotted naked with a young showgirl, some Fabiana. The photo shoot and the headline (something like: “The old slobbering writer and the virgin”) would have represented the right springboard for my literary ambition. The cost? Only 15,000 before-crisis euros, all included. Fabiana would have been very happy.

After due consideration (about the showgirl), I bought two tickets to Hong Kong for me and my dog, saving a lot of money.

I’m in exile, now. However, it isn’t a bad situation, looking at the editorial quality in Italy. Thus, I have to thank my two Italian agents first.

It took many years before I could work on Aunt Suelita and the Devil’s Project again, you can imagine. Not long ago, a publisher started taking an interest in my Project.

So, my serious thanks go to Lascar Publishing for the trust, to Nicole Garbellini for her translation from Italian, and Jonathan Webley for his professional, precise and supportive editing. Thank you!

And thanks to my dog, Tazio, who accepted the very challenge.

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