When googling “Elena Ferrante” (in the UK), the first page of results provides just a cross-section of the phenomenal success the «global literary sensation that nobody knows», as Meghan O’Rourke labels the elusive author in «The Guardian», has encountered not only in Italy, but particularly in the Anglo-American world and beyond. Her books have been published in 39 countries. Despite her reluctance to reveal her identity or appear in public, Ferrante has become somewhat of a public figure in absentia, being at the center of numerous debates ranging from feminism to contemporary Italian politics. In the Italian media («la Repubblica»), the author has engaged in a debate about literature and the Italian publishing industry with another prominent Neapolitan figure, Roberto Saviano, who has nominated her for the Premio Strega,…