1
Luther Blissett
Q
Translated from the Italian by Shaun Whiteside
First published in the United Kingdom in 2003 by William Heinemann
Copyright (c) 2000 Giulio Einaudi editore S.p.a., Torino
Translated from the Italian: Q
Translation copyright (c) Shaun Whiteside 2003
ISBN 0 434 01000 6
William Heinemann
The Random House Group Limited
20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1V 2SA
The publisher's website:
www.randomhouse.co.uk
The authors' website:
www.wumingfoundation.com
The partial or total reproduction of this book, in electronic form or otherwise, is consented to for non-commercial purposes, provided that the original copyright notice and this notice are included and the publisher and source are clearly acknowledged.
Papers used by Random House for the non-electronic edition of this book are natural, recyclable products made from wood gron in sustainable forests. The manifacturing process conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin.
To Marco Morri
Prologue
Out of Europe, 1555
On the first page it says: In the fresco I'm one of the figures in the background.
The meticulous handwriting, no smudges, tiny. Names, places, dates, reflections. The notebook of the final fevered days.
The yellowed and decrepit letters, the dust of decades.
The coin of the kingdom of the mad dangles on my chest to remind me of the eternal oscillation of human fortunes.
The book, perhaps the only remaining copy, has never been opened.
The names