TheSmellofHay

AnewtranslationofGiorgioBassani\'shauntingcollectionofshortstoriesthatevoke1930sFerrara£¬withanintroductionbyAliSmith.IsolatedlivesandalostworldareevokedinthesememorablestoriessetintheJewish-Italiancommunityof1930sFerrara.Ayoungman\'sunrequitedlove;astrangedisappearance;afadedhotel;alonelyfunfair;thesmellofmownhayatthegatesoftheJewishCemetery-thesevivid£¬impressionisticsnapshotsbuildapictureoflife\'sbrevityandintensity.PartofthesequenceincludingTheGold-RimmedSpectaclesandTheGardenoftheFinzi-Continis£¬andfeaturingpeopleandplacesfromthesenovels£¬TheSmellofHayistoldwithavoicethatisbyturnsintimate£¬ironic£¬elegiacandrueful.Thisnewtranslationcontainstwopieces£¬addedbyBassanitohisearliercollection£¬whichhaveneverappearedinEnglishbefore.\'Powerfulnewtranslations...Bassanibeganasapoet£¬andMcKendrick\'sredeliveryofthistautuncompromisingfictionrevealsresonanceandgenerosity\'AliSmith\'GiorgioBassaniisoneofthegreatwitnessesofthiscentury£¬andoneofitsgreatartists\'GuardianGiorgioBassani(1916-2000)wasanItalianpoet£¬novelistandeditor.TheSmellofHayisthelastinaseriesofsixworkscollectedtogetherasIlromanzodiFerrara.OtherworksinthecycleincludeTheGardenoftheFinzi-Continis£¬whichreceivedtheViareggioPrizeandinspiredanAcademyAward-winningfilmadaptationbyVittoriodeSica£¬TheGold-RimmedSpectacles£¬andWithintheWalls(originallypublishedasFiveStoriesofFerrara)£¬whichwontheStregaPrize.JamieMcKendrickisapoetandtranslator.HistranslationsofBassani\'sTheGardenoftheFinzi-ContinisandTheGold-RimmedSpectaclesarealreadyavailableasPenguinModernClassics£¬andheisintheprocessoftranslatingtherestoftheRomanzodiFerraracycleanew.