In an earlier period, Western medieval literary texts were anonymous. Stories and tales were not meant to have an author; they would circulate anonymously. Even centuries later, several writers had their books published under a pen name or still anonymously. For instance, the founder of the historical novel genre, Sir Walter Scott, wrote Waverley (1814) anonymously. A few years later, he wrote a classic, Ivanhoe (1819), with the pseudonym of Lawrence Templeton.

On a more contemporary note, four decades ago, an Italian publishing house brought to life one of the most intriguing literary mysteries in recent Western history. I refer to Elena Ferrante, a true international literary sensation whose novels have a passionate readership worldwide. Hillary Clinton is a superfan of Ferrante.