Before Fausto Brizzi found himself in hot water when he made headlines as ‘Italy’s Weinstein’, he was already in a pickle with his wife Claudia Zanelli.
The Italian film director, a staunch carnivore, married a militant vegan and wrote a book about it, which has just been adapted to Maltese.
The launch of Iżżewwiġt Vegana, [I Married a Vegan] comes at interesting times, not just because people seem to be increasingly opting for a vegan diet, but also as Mr Brizzi himself has ended up in the midst of a scandal.
At least, ten women have accused Mr Brizzi of sexual harassment, which the 49-year-old categorically denies.
Merlin Publishers director Chris Gruppetta heard the news on the late-night RAI bulletin while he was preparing a snack after a long day at the Malta Book Festival.
“I almost choked on my very non-vegan ham sandwich when I saw his face on the news and heard about the allegations,” he told this newspaper. “It doesn’t directly affect me of course as the book – while non-fiction and dealing with his private life – doesn’t talk about Mr Brizzi’s sexual adventures or lack thereof,” he added.
Readers are not that familiar with Italian literature
The only relationship Mr Brizzi talks about in the book is with his wife – his courting her, their dating and cohabiting years, the wedding and the pregnancy with their first child.
Dr Gruppetta describes the book as a laugh-a-minute story, in which Mr Brizzi does not hide his pre-marriage philandering ‘Italian playboy’ ways, although of course there is no hint that there might ever have been anything that was not consensual.
Mr Brizzi’s title is probably one of the very first mainstream Italian books to be adapted to Maltese, with Merlin Publishers being very conscious of the fact that Italian literature rarely makes it to the island.
“The irony is that although Italy is culturally very close to us, as readers we are not that familiar with Italian literature, apart from the ones studied at school such as La Divina Commedia, and television series adaptations such as Andrea Camilleri’s Montalbano thrillers.”
Dr Gruppetta hopes that the book will help encourage the exportation of Italian culture into Maltese literature.
It was adapted by professional translator Ludvic Azzopardi Ferrando after Dr Gruppetta came across it while on a work trip in northern Italy last year.
“I found it in a local bookshop and by the next morning had finished it. I’m personally the exact opposite of a vegan: I love my meat and dairy foods and couldn’t contemplate adopting that lifestyle,” Dr Gruppetta noted.
“But I have many friends who are, so I can sympathise. My wife used to be a vegetarian but I’m afraid the influence in this case worked the other way round than in Mr Brizzi’s book – she nowadays enjoys eating meat and all other yummy foods.”