The Housemaid's Daughter in Italian

We have already seen the publication of an Icelandic and a Dutch translation of The Housemaid's Daughter, and I am thrilled to show you the Italian, which has just been published under the title:
La Bambina Dagli Occhi Di Cielo.

The Italian cover is really beautiful. They have presented an elegant hardback, with the title and my name embossed on the front and the spine. (I am getting more experienced with covers, now - and with book production in general. I assess the weight of the paper used, I judge the font with a critical eye, I run my finger over the cover image... this could become an obsession!)

For their cover, the Italian publishers stepped away from the traditional African scene in terracotta colours. Instead they have gone for a rather lovely picture of a little girl playing the piano, feet dangling from the piano stool. It is both innocent and also intriguing: you get the feeling that, despite the image, this child's life may end up being far from conventional.

One of the first things I do when I receive a new foreign translation is to look at the Glossary at the back of the book. This is where those evocative Xhosa or Afrikaans words that are sprinkled throughout the text are explained to readers who may not be familiar with the South Africa scene. To render such words - and their distinctive meanings - into a foreign language can't be easy. For the translator it is, after all, a 3 step progression: from Xhosa to English to Italian.

Not surprisingly, I have started to notice that each language imparts its own cultural take on certain words. So... it was not unexpected that the Italian version should want to describe an item of clothing with the style we have come to admire from that country. Ada's humble doek, which in the English original is explained as a simple cloth tied around the head, sounds much more exotic as...
foulard o pezzo di stoffa da legare attorno alla testa.

Good Luck to the Italian Housemaid! Buona Fortuna!

Acting The Housemaid's Daughter

Last week I was delighted to play a tiny part in World Book Night, the global jamboree celebrating reading all round the world. Along with 10 other authors, I presented a 2 minute overview of The Housemaid's Daughter to an enthusiastic audience at Guildford Library. And what variety there was in the books - and the authors - on display: science fiction, crime, domestic drama, historical fiction... you name it, it was there. The 2 minute talks were rigidly policed by a hooter (!) to prevent us rambling on. Afterwards, we were distributed around the Library to meet with interested readers, as you can see from the photo above.

In perhaps the most intriguing part of the evening, we were asked to nominate the actors and actresses whom we fancied for the film versions of our books. The library provided pictures of our nominees to show the audience at the end of each mini-presentation. I have often been asked about this. Whom would you cast as Irish Cathleen? As her austere husband Edward? And... most importantly, as the heroine, Ada?

I chose Cate Blanchett as Irish Cathleen. I have always admired her as an actress for her sensitivity and conviction, and she created an impressive Irish accent in a movie called Veronica Guerrin a few years ago. She also has that chameleon-like ability to play a range of ages. Given that we meet Cath in the book in her mid 20s and stay with her for 50-odd years, I felt it would be a daunting challenge for any actress - other than Cate!

For austere, unbending Edward, I rather fancy Damian Lewis, the star of the TV series Homeland. But it was for his portrayal - several years before Homeland - of the severe Soames in the Forsyte Saga that has always convinced me he would be perfect for Edward. I wanted someone with repressed emotions, a shuttered face, and a certain ruthlessness, all characteristics that he seems able to portray.

Ada is the difficult one. A young, impressionable girl who matures during the passage of the book but still retains a naivete to the end; vulnerable yet determined, unschooled yet insightful. The centre of the story and yet also at its mercy. An actress who, like Cate Blanchett, will have to age convincingly. Ideally, a pianist... that's quite some list of requirements!
I suspect she will have to be an unknown. A young actress starting out - but with a hidden core of strength that will come to the fore as she grows with Ada throughout the book. An actress for whom Ada could perhaps be a breakout role?
And then, just as an aside, what about mean, manipulative Rose?
That would be a fun casting. Any ideas?