Writers Read: Lianna Mark on Perfection

In this episode of Berlin Review Audio, writer Lianna Mark reads
her essay "Better Living Through Self-Curation," originally
published in the winter online edition of Berlin Review. The piece
responds to Vincenzo Latronico’s widely discussed novel Perfection,
which was shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize after the
publication of its English translation. In her essay, Mark looks
beyond the polarized reactions to the novel and examines the
cultural economy behind authenticity. What does it mean to perform
sincerity in a literary marketplace that rewards stories that are
easily packaged and exported? And how does self-curation shape not
only our lives but also the narratives that circulate globally?