“It was completely unexpected – I’d hoped for good reviews but never thought it would sell as it has,” reflected Lea Ypi on the extraordinary success of her memoir, Free: Coming of Age at the End of History.
Last month, the London School of Economics philosopher’s book about growing up in Albania during the fall of communism topped The Times-Waterstones best-seller list for non-fiction paperbacks, ahead of titles by Jeremy Clarkson, Dolly Alderton and Bob Mortimer. That remarkable feat is, however, eclipsed by Free’s international record; it has so far been translated into 21 languages, selling impressively in the US, Germany and France, and the Italian film company behind the adaptations of Elena Ferrante’s novels is working on a TV version.
