I know identity of mystery writer, claims reporter

SHE is among the most mysterious authors alive today, with readers and critics heaping praise upon her works despite their having no idea as to her real identity.

Now, an Italian journalist claims to have unlocked the secret of who is behind the novels of Elena Ferrante, who writes under a pseudonym.

Claudio Gatti, a reporter for the newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, announced yesterday that he has found property documents that suggest the author is Anita Raja, a Rome-based translator married to a Neapolitan writer.

He also claims to have found receipts with links to Ms Ferrante’s publishing house, Edizioni e/o, which, he says, suggest she has received significant payments from the publishing house since the Ferrante novels came out.

Edizioni e/o did not respond to requests for comment yesterday, but Mr Gatti says the publishing house told him that one of their clients felt their privacy had been invaded. He also said a spokesperson said Raja was simply a freelance translator and “absolutely not” an employee.

Ms Ferrante’s best-known series of books are the coming-of-age “Neapolitan novels”, which trace the fortunes, mishaps and lifelong friendship of two girls from Naples. They have received widespread critical acclaim.

Time magazine named her as one of the most influential living people in 2016, but despite this she has kept her anonymity since her first novel, Troubling Love, was published in 1992.

The internet is awash with theories as to what her true identity may be, many of which end up debunked.

An Italian linguist recently “exposed” her as an Italian professor named Marcella Marmo after examining the yearbooks of a school where the author’s main character is a student.

He said he found a number of similarities between the writing style of Ms Ferrante and Ms Marmo, who is a professor at a Naples University.

However, Ms Marmo has poured cold water on the theory and insists she has nothing to do with the books.

‘The publishing house said one of their clients felt their privacy had been invaded’