Jamie Mackay is a writer and translator based in Florence. His work has appeared in the Guardian, the TLS, Frieze and elsewhere.
The Invention of Sicily: A Mediterranean History is his first book.
At the Guardian he tagged ten books "that show the island’s miscellaneous character, leaving the mafia in the margins where it belongs." One title on the list:
The Council of Egypt by Leonardo SciasciaRead about the other entries on the list.
Sciascia is best known for his books on the mafia. This slim volume translated by Adrienne Foulke, though, is one of the secret gems ofSicilian literature. It is, in essence, an 18th-century detective story, populated by an intriguing cast of Spanish noblemen, Jacobin revolutionaries, forgers, smugglers and libertines. Yet it’s also a philosophical allegory about the fine lines that separate fact from fiction in Sicily, and the blurring of boundaries between history and legend. Fans of Andrea Camilleri will surely enjoy the affectionate yet cynical humour.
--Marshal Zeringue
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