Elena Ferrante: ‘People who are enemies for no reason fascinate me'

How did the hostility start?

I’ve had enemies and still do. I’m sorry about it, but that’s how it is. How enmity begins I don’t know; every generalisation seems arbitrary. I have a hard time crediting the theory that enemies are indispensable to the way we define ourselves, that they reinforce our identity through a sort of permanent war. I’ve never felt that need: enemies have never given me anything but anxiety, and I would gladly go without them.

On the other hand, there’s no doubt that the history of the human race is a history of enmities, and one can’t eliminate the problem with a shrug. Enmities that can be ascribed to a particular motive frighten but don’t excite me: the possession of a spring, of oil wells, of a region – those end in murder, war, slaughter and inspire horror.

Related: Elena Ferrante: ‘Beauty triumphs in childhood photos, along with charm, joy, happy laughter’

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