ROME — One of literature’s unresolved mysteries appears to have been cracked with the unmasking of the true identity of Italian publishing sensation Elena Ferrante.In its wake, a literary row erupted on Monday over journalistic ethics and writers’ right to protect their identities and the personal back stories that may, or may not, inform their work.Claudio Gatti, an Italian investigative journalist, says he has established that Ferrante is a pen name for Anita Raja, a Rome-based translator who is married to a well-known novelist, Domenico Starnone.Ferrante’s best-selling novels, particularly her Naples-based quartet, have been acclaimed for their intricate, compelling storytelling and insights into the nature of female friendship. Her success has been fuelled by media interest in the mystery over the author’s identity with the until-now anonymous Ferrante having granted only a handful of interviews conducted via e-mails passed on by her publisher.Gatti’s scoop was based on records ...
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