His novel Change the water to the flowers (and/or) It was an unprecedented literary phenomenon: for weeks at the top of the ranking of the best -selling books in France, In Italy he sold 1 and a half million copies and was the most asked book on loan in libraries. Valerie Perrin, with his four novels published so far (the last Trityreleased in Italy in November he currently sold 250,000 copies from us), was translated into thirty countries, and his recent participation in the Turin book Motor Show has collected a public participation that is usually paid to rock stars. It is on that occasion that We met her for a long chat that she ranged from her childhood, to her screenwriter work for the second husband, the director Claude Lelouch, from love for the family and animals, to the themes of faith.
We start from Greugnon, the country where it grew and in which tatà is set. How was his childhood?
«I got there a year because my father was playing in the local football team. It was a small town, which recalled many even foreigners because they are home to an important factory, so I grew up in a very open environment, a solidarity community. Heroes already in love with the stories, in particular EMi liked to listen to those of the elderly of the country, and it is to them that I then thought when I wrote my first or novel, The notebooks of lost love “.
How come such a late debut in literature?
«To write a novel you have to have the right time, at least for me it was so. Before I had been very busy as a mother, and I dedicated myself to other professions related to the stories, such as photography and script. Once the children have become great, that story that cultivated in me has had the right time to go out for years. He also surprised me that the publisher to whom he had sent him immediately decided to publish it, and incredulous of the success he had, with thirteen prizes won “.
His protagonists are women who in different ways tell stories. Did you put something about her in each of these women?
«Yes, of course, like peer many authors within my novels there are parts of me, of my childhood, of the people I met. Before writing also, and a new story I make a sort of journalistic work, I go to interview Perone who have similar roles to my characters, for example I made a real full immersion in the world of the civodes of the cemeteries. And I assure you that in the life of Reale there are such dramatic and incredible stories that often you take to censor me when I write for fear that the reader would then judge them exaggerated ».
Nina, one of the protagonists of Threefinds the strength in a kennel to start again after so many traumas. What role did the animals play in your life?
«And I would like to remember that Pappa Francesco had also underlined the importance of love for all creatures starting from the choice of the name of Francesco d’Assisi, the saint of animals. I remember the meeting I had with him when he summoned in Rome, in the Sistine Chapel, two hundred artists to underline what our role was important in testifying beauty and love ».
His stories are crossed by a deep spirituality. In tatà the role of the Church and a priest is very important. What relationship do you have with religion?
«That priest is a desired tribute to the parish priest of my childhood, the one with which I did the catechism and that he spent so much for the community. I have a particular devotion to the Madonna, there are his representations in the two things in which I live, one in Paris and one in Burgundy and I always carry it like me around my neck in this medal (and so saying it shows us a blue pendant). I believe there is a renewed need to believe, to have hope. And I trust a lot in the new Pope and in his ability to record with his peace message.
What bond do you have with Italy?
«My mother’s family was Italian. My great -grandfather, who was a surname Foppa, was from Lake Como, emigrated to France on the bike, so much was poor. My grandfather was born in France, but he spoke Italian. I love Italy very much, I often come to us, and I particularly respect two Italian writers, Martina Angus, author of the beautiful Stone painand Viola Ardone ».
Speaking of literary roots, do you feel a little a heir of the great French novelists of the 19th century?
«I loved Zola’s novels a lot, like Nanà and Germinal, The human drama they tell. But my author of the heart is Guy de Maupassant, in particular his stories ».
Did he collaborate in the screenplay of the film that taken to change the water to the flowers directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet?
«The director made me follow the work step by step, but I did not participate in the writing of the script. He remained very faithful to the text, in my novels, also by virtue of my experience as a screenwriter, there are many dialogues, which often has brought back faithfully ».
What relationship does it have with its readers?
«What surprises me most is that they range from fourteen year olds to very old women, but there are also many men, it is nice to know they can get to such different targets. Meeting them, replying to their messages makes me a very grateful path ».
Do you consider himself happy?
“Once life is grateful, but what matters most to me is the family, I am proud of my son of my daughter, of the people who have become, of my grandchildren, then my husband had seven children, and ours is a very united enlarged family”.
