Class of 1955 (2nd floor, Van Pelt Library)

Acclaimed translator of Elena Ferrante’s novels and former editor of the New Yorker, Ann Goldstein is joining the University of Pennsylvania to discuss the new translation of Alba de Céspedes’ Forbidden Notebook, originally published in Italian in 1952. A New York Times Notable Book of 2023, New Statesman Best Book of 2023, and a Mother Jones Favorite Book of 2023, Forbidden Notebook has been defined as “an exquisite, crafted portrayal of domestic life that recognizes the universality of human aspirations.” Alba De Céspedes (1911-1997), a bestselling author of Italian Cuban heritage, was imprisoned for her anti-fascist work and assistance with Radio Partigiana in Bari. Two of her novels were also banned in Italy, La fuga (1940) and Nessuno torna indietro (1938), whose translation in English by Goldstein will come out next year (There’s No Turning Back, forthcoming February 2025). Goldstein’s translations allow De Céspedes to be known internationally and finally put her in a broad and interdisciplinary context.

Goldstein has translated works by Pasolini and Baricco among others and is the editor of the Completed Works of Primo Levi in English. She has been the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and awards from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

This event is cosponsored by the Center for Italian Studies and Italian Consulate.