Menzogna e sortilegio e le «lettere d’affari» di Elsa Morante (1942-1948)

This paper will examine the correspondence, mostly unpublished, between Elsa Morante and the main publishing houses of the time from 1942 to 1948. The purpose is not only to show that the eccentricity of Menzogna e sortilegio in the literary trends of the time did not penalize its publication, but also to pinpoint Morante’s ability to promote her works. As they came to know about the novel she was writing, Bompiani, Einaudi, Garzanti, and Mondadori proposed in turn to Morante to publish it. Initially Morante seemed to have reached an agreement with Garzanti, but after such an opportunity was abandoned, she preferred finishing to write her novel before making a final decision, In January 1948 she wrote three similar letters to three different publishers. The first to reply was Einaudi and thus Morante entrusted her work to his publishing house.