An extract from Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico, translated by Sophie Hughes
A taut, spare sociological novel about the emptiness of contemporary existence – scathing and affecting in equal measure
Vincenzo Latronico
Vincenzo Latronico is an Italian novelist, translator and art critic
Vincenzo Latronico was born in Rome and currently lives in Milan. He is an art critic and has translated many books into Italian, by authors such as George Orwell, Oscar Wilde, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Hanif Kureishi. His writing has appeared in Frieze, Corriere della Sera and La Stampa and he is a regular contributor to Internazionale. Perfection is his fourth novel, his first to be translated into English, and was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025.
An astute, cringe-making and often laugh-out-loud funny portrait of everyday privilege and modern aspirations
— The 2025 judges on Perfection
All nominated books
A taut, spare sociological novel about the emptiness of contemporary existence – scathing and affecting in equal measure
