Ferrante makes Time Magazine's 'most influential'

Reclusive Italian author Elena Ferrante has been named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people, alongside US author Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Ferrante, published in English translation by Europa, is the author of most famously of The Neapolitan quartet, which consists of My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child.

The Story of the Lost Child is shortlisted for this year’s Man Booker International Prize, and longlisted for the Best Translated Book Award.

Ferrante's upcoming children's book The Beach at Night will be published in November.

Ferrante's publisher Europa Editions said: "Our deepest, sincerest congratulations to this incredible author."

Coates is the author of Between the World and Me (Text Publishing Company), which won the National Book Awards’ top prize for non-fiction in 2015, and The Beautiful Struggle (Verso).

Leo Hollis, editor at Verso, said: "We are thrilled to be working with Ta-Nehisi on his memoir The Beautiful Struggle. The recent announcement of his inclusion on the TIMES power 100, alongside his many awards over the last 18 months, is recognition that he is one of the essential voices in the current debate on race in the United States. His writing makes art out of his own life, but also packs a powerful political message. His is a voice that we should all listen to at a time of tension and strife."

The authors feature alongside the likes of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, US presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.