Tuesday 30 April 2013: TALK
CRIME FICTION SERIES: ROMANIAN NOIR
with Profusion editors, Ramona Mitrica and Mike Phillips
18:30, Belgravia Books, 59 Ebury Street, London SW1W 0NZ (map here)
Tel. 020 7259 9336; E-mail: jimena@belgraviabooks.com
Free entry. Book early. Limited space.
EVERYTHING YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT ROMANIAN CRIME FICTION...
Q: Is there such a thing as Romanian crime fiction?
A: Yes, and Profusion is here to prove it.
Q: Romania – it’s in Eastern Europe, right?
A: It used to be behind the Iron Curtain. Cue one bloody revolution. Cue one long transition to a market-economy. Now it's a vital European partner.
Q: Can you see something of this in your books?
A: Certainly. Attack in the Library by George Arion, one of the classic narratives of Romanian popular fiction, was written during the dictatorship of the 1980s in the finest Noir tradition. Kill the General by Bogdan Hrib, an exciting and suspenseful thriller, takes you on a rollercoaster ride through the last decades in Romanian history. Anatomical Clues by Oana Stoica-Mujea features Iolanda, a crime-fighting heroine unique in the landscape of Romanian literature: mad, bad and dangerous to know. Rimaru - Butcher of Bucharest by Mike Phillips and Stejarel Olaru is a social review of Romania in the ‘70s, with a serial killer’s story as a central focus.
Q: That sounds serious.
A: It is. But the stories are also full of insights into the life of ordinary Romanians. This is a different society under different conditions, but Romanians are subject to the same existential problems as any other human beings, and they react in similar ways – both in ordinary and extraordinary situations. The books also contain a strong dose of black humour of the type recently explored in the films of the Romanian New Wave.
Q: So I guess I’ll see you there?
A: By all means. The books will be available for a special price on the evening. There’s going to be a wine reception, too, sponsored by the Romanian online food-store www.albinuta.co.uk
Q: Aha! Is the event free?
A: Yes, it is. But you have to book your place in advance. Call 020 7259 9336 or e-mail: jimena@belgraviabooks.com.
Other details on www.facebook.com/events/439513022792251/?ref=22 and www.belgraviabooks.com
You can read more about the books on www.profusion.org.uk. You can also watch a video trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDRIpj3kKyw