In 1987, Italian cultural journalist Leopoldina Pallotta della Torre met with Marguerite Duras for a series of interviews.

Two years later, the meetings had been thematically organized and structured into a series of essays on a wide array of topics, such as femininity, French cinema, Italian literature, homosexuality and the architectural development of Paris.

Duras’ distinct phrasing is present on every page, as is her strong personality and unique point of view.

There is an art to conducting a good interview.

The journalist needs to create a framework for the conversation, then stepping back to allow the interviewee to speak freely, without interruptions.

At the same time, the journalist needs to consider the direction of the conversation, to know where to go next and to have done the necessary research beforehand.

After each session, Pallotta della Torre would write down Dura’s words, turning their long talks into brief sentences while remaining true to the original sentiment and tonality.

The result is a strange and remarkable dialogue, based in Duras’ own life experiences and artistry; a pleasure to read and to reflect on. 

The book can be read in two different ways, either in the more traditional manner from beginning to end, or haphazardly, by picking it up and randomly starting to read whichever page you happen to look at. Either way, Duras’ interpretations of the world around her will fascinate and lead to new conversations. 

Initially, the book was published in Italian and quickly forgotten. Nearly 25 years later, it was rediscovered and translated into French.

At that time, it made a big sensation in the French literary world, as Duras spoke very candidly, not least about her many friends, most of them part of the cultural elite of their time. Duras’ view on the relationship between men and women, and between women and literature, could be seen as thought-provoking.

The book is equally a guide to her own work, as Duras and Pallotta della Torre discuss and assess her many novels and films. 

In 2020, it was translated into English, bringing the conversations to new readers, and letting the voice of Duras be heard once more.