A writer’s path is rarely straightforward, particularly if she is living outside her country, creating a life for herself between two cultures and languages. My friend Lauren Elkin’s first novel Une Année à Venise has just been published in a French translation by Edition Héloise d’Ormesson. Lauren wrote the novel in English, shopped around New York for a publisher but ended up getting the manuscript into the hands of Héloise d’Ormesson, who loved it and made an offer to publish it. So the novel has come out in French first, which is uncommon, and Lauren has every reason to be proud of this distinction. Firstly, it is always a particular honour for an American author to be translated into French (let us remember that Gallimard’s endorsement helped get Faulkner to Sweden for the Nobel); secondly, it marks the beginning of a literary career that promises to be unique, vivacious and polyglot (Lauren is currently writing a novel simultaneously in English and French). The novel, which I’m looking forward to reading, recounts the tale of an American graduate student in Venice who, whilst pursuing her art history research, falls under the charm of the floating city and one of its gondoliers and finds herself involved with a mysterious Croatian woman looking for a hidden synagog.
Lauren earned her PhD last year and has been writing on a number of subjects, mostly literature-related, for publications such as The Guardian, Bookforum and The Daily Beast. She has also been an ardent blogger, which is how I got to know her five years ago when she posted an encouraging word about my novel Remedy. We became fast friends meeting, when our busy schedules permitted, at the Café Panis or the Café Chéri(e) for long talks over coffee.
When Lauren contacted me a few weeks ago with the idea for a book-launch party I readily agreed to host the event at Martha’s Place, the art space I run at Belleville. I’ve been itching to hold literary events there, and celebrating Lauren’s first novel was the perfect way to get started. Friday night a delightful group of artists, editors and emerging writers gathered for a Venice-theme party replete with Spritz and cicchetti.
I’m afraid we did drink quite a lot and I’m still a bit fuzzy today… Here are some pictures of the event: