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2009 Longlist

The Past is a foreign Country

Gianrico Carofiglio

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ABOUT
THE BOOK

One hot summer, as world-weary bloodhound Lieutenant Chiti spends sleepless nights hunting for the serial sex attacker terrorising his city, trainee lawyer Giorgio is befriended by dangerously charismatic Francesco. Slowly the innocent Giorgio is lured into a corrupt world of beautiful women, card sharps and casual violence, in dingy poker dens and luxury villas. Then one terrifying night Giorgio is forced to realise just how far he has left his past behind…..

Gianrico Carofiglio

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR Gianrico
Carofiglio

Gianrico Carofiglio is one of Italy’s bestselling authors. He was an anti-Mafia prosecutor in Bari, a port on the coast of Puglia. He has been involved with trials concerning corruption, organized crime and the traffic in human beings. He is now a member of the Italian Senate.

Gianrico Carofiglio is one of Italy’s bestselling authors. He was an anti-Mafia prosecutor in Bari, a port on the coast of Puglia. He has been involved with trials concerning corruption, organized crime and the traffic in human beings. He is now a member of the Italian Senate.

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ABOUT
THE TRANSLATOR Howard
Curtis

Howard Curtis is a British translator of French, Italian and Spanish fiction. He won the 2013 Marsh Award for Children’s Literature in Translation for his translation from Italian of In the Sea there are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda.

Howard Curtis is a British translator of French, Italian and Spanish fiction. He won the 2013 Marsh Award for Children’s Literature in Translation for his translation from Italian of In the Sea there are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda.

NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS

This novel is probably the most exciting Italian novel and well written one in recent times. Carofiglio is very clever in giving a tale of inevitability of the descent to hell accomplished by the protagonist.

A breathless tour-de-force into the mind of a suicidal genius.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Country
Italy
Original Language
Italian
Author
Gianrico Carofiglio
Publisher
Old Street Publishing
Translator
Howard Curtis
Nominating Library
Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale Firenze - Italy

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