Book Tour in Italy

In June I travelled to Italy for my first ever foreign book tour. And it was amazing. It was amazing because, well, it was Italy in June. And because on my first night, at my book launch in Parma, I got to see a dear old friend I hadn’t seen in twenty years, not since our crazy days in Goa. Because everywhere I went I met readers who loved the book and had intelligent, thoughtful things to say about it. Because of the food, and the sunshine, and the wine. Because most of my events took place outside, in various piazzas, and I was wearing summer dresses and sandals the entire time I was there. Because the interviewers read from my book in Italian and it sounded beautiful and yet I could still somehow recognize the passages. Because apparently I hit the jackpot and I have the best publisher in the world, Cecilia Mutti of Nuova Editrice Berti, and she is brilliant and kind and funny and we became friends instantly. And her friends were all pretty awesome too: I got to hang out with authors, and translators, and journalists, and booksellers, and scholars, and they were all interesting, and witty, and warm. I already miss everyone I met there.

And because my sister came along from Israel! I don’t think the two of us have had an uninterrupted conversation in seven years (ever since she started having children). The first night in Piacenza we lay in our hotel room and couldn’t sleep from the excitement. The entire week was like that: we talked and talked and laughed and drank wine and espresso and it was dreamy in every possible way. There was even one day in this intensive tour (which took us to a different city every day) where we had nothing to do and we joined the amazing Cecilia and her equally wonderful partner, Pietro, to a pastoral seaside town and my sister and I just sat on the beach and did nothing at all. That never happens. Later that night Cecilia and Pietro took us to a lovely winery, and then to a seafood restaurant, and everything we tasted was delicious. And even though it was work, at that moment it felt like vacation (which we both so desperately needed). I am so grateful for those few magical days in Italy, and I hope to be back one day!

I have a few photos above, but check out these awesome photos from the book launch that appeared in La Republicca, and some more from the Parma Reporter .

And if you read Italian, I’ve got some more links for you! You can read this review from La Republicca, which calls the book “An Astonishing literary debut.” And this summary of the event in Rome, where I was interviewed by rising literary star author Nadia Terranova.