|
|
Interview with a foreign friend
Ramona Mitrica - interview with a foreign friend - about the place Romanian creativity occupies in the imagination of the artistic world
|
PROFUSION GOLD SERIES - Fiction, Series Editor: Mike Phillips
PROFUSION CRIME SERIES - Fiction/Non-Fiction, Series Editor: Mike Phillips
This is a list of translated books which have been published by Profusion Books. They consist of popular novels and nonfiction, augmented by one important European classic and this list represents a new push into the market for Central and East European fiction.
“Report on the State of Loneliness” by Augustin Buzura
“Attack in the Library” by George Arion
“Rimaru - Butcher of Bucharest” by Mike Phillips and Stejarel Olaru
“The Innocent and Collateral Victims of a Bloody War with Russia” by Liviu Antonesei
“Greuceanu – Novel with a Policeman” by Stelian Turlea
“Kill the General” by Bogdan Hrib
“Anatomical Clues” by Oana Stoica-Mujea
When we started publishing under the name Profusion, in 2011, our aim was to bring aspects of East European literary culture, hitherto unknown in Britain, to the attention of the reading public. This was because most publications from the region were, more or less, “highbrow”, while popular stories and genres such as crime fiction tended to go unnoticed. Our list of books and authors is therefore a factor in increasing knowledge throughout Europe about the life and prospects of ordinary men and women in the region
In the last few years a number of commercial opportunities have opened up for these books. Firstly, the growing population of East European readers have had little or no attention in the market, and while academics and others are able to find various classic texts in (a few) specialist libraries, there has been little or nothing available to the growing band of schoolchildren, learners of English and casual readers. Secondly, there is an increasing interest among genre readers who might wish to expand their knowledge of European fiction in their particular field. Finally, there has been a growing attention to books which can illuminate the personality of various European nationalities, especially in Scandinavia and the East.
PERFECT READS FROM EASTERN EUROPE!
Novelist Augustin Buzura speaking about “Report on the State of Loneliness”
Profusion Crime Series – Fiction, Non-Fiction, 2011-2012:
“Attack in the Library” by George Arion
“Kill the General” by Bogdan Hrib
“Anatomical Clues” by Oana Stoica-Mujea
“Rimaru - Butcher of Bucharest” by Mike Phillips and Stejarel Olaru
Profusion Gold Series – Fiction, 2014-2015:
“The Innocent and Collateral Victims of a Bloody War with Russia” by Liviu Antonesei
“Greuceanu – Novel with a Policeman” by Stelian Turlea
“Report on the State of Loneliness” by Augustin Buzura (coming soon)
“Attack in the Library” by George Arion, one of the classic narratives of Romanian crime fiction, was written during the dictatorship of the 1980s in the finest Noir tradition. “I loved this book. Dry, snappy, absurdist wit... the colossal, surreal stupidity of totalitarianism.” (Patrick McGuinness - author, The Last Hundred Days - Man Booker Prize Longlist)
ISBN-13: 978-0956867612
“Kill the General” by Bogdan Hrib, an exciting and suspenseful thriller, takes you on a rollercoaster ride through the last decades in Romanian history. “...a good read offering an insight into a country that remains mysterious to many of us.” (Julian Cole - The Press, York)
ISBN-13: 978-0956867605
“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. “...a gripping tale, which, like Iolanda, will creep into your head and stay there.” (Mike Phillips - author, CWA Silver Dagger winner)
ISBN-13: 978-0956867629
“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. “... a fascinating read that frames a factual account of the crimes within their social environment, while examining their impact on the culture, and their lingering legacy in the present day.” (George Nott - Enfield INDEPENDENT)
ISBN-13: 978-0956867636
“Greuceanu – Novel with a Policeman” by Stelian Turlea
With the unerring instinct of a popular children’s author, Turlea locates, in GREUCEANU, one of the major Pan-European issues in contemporary times, the problem of organised crime. Turlea’s villains are not moustachioed banditos. Instead they are the brothers and sisters of gangsters in every European city centre, and playing as he does with the characters of the town, he explores a number of insights into the role of organised crime in post-Accession civic life. Greuceanu is a young policeman, at the bottom of the ladder. By chance, he gets rid of one of the feared gangsters, whose brothers and their wives come after him.
ISBN-13: 978-0956867667
“The Innocent and Collateral Victims of a Bloody War with Russia” by Liviu Antonesei
“The Innocent and Collateral Victims of a Bloody War with Russia” is Liviu Antonesei's latest collection of short stories, which track the experiences of a Romanian intellectual in the years since the political upheavals in his country and the surrounding region. They make for an exciting, insightful and provocative read about the events happening right now in Eastern Europe... These seductive short stories are an ingenious merger of simple life, essay, diary and reportage.
ISBN-13: 978-0956867650
“Report on the State of Loneliness” by Augustin Buzura
A deeply reflexive meditation on the history of Doctor Cassian, from the Second World War to contemporary times in Romania, told through the experiences of a panoply of characters and events. In counterpoint, the novel details the reflections of a young woman, Mara, and her relationship with the doctor.
The book explores, in depth, the Romanian landscape over more than 70 years, subtly locating the history of a myriad of individuals and events within their broader European context, as well as describing the conflicts and opportunities of the post-Accession generation. It is an important contribution to broadening European understanding of a little known history and culture.
ISBN-13: 978-0956867643
All Profusion books are available in paperback from Profusion.org.uk and Amazon.co.uk , as well as Kindle e-books. Books are available in Romania as well, from ‘Anthony Frost’ English bookshop in Bucharest (www.anthonyfrost.ro ).
Books can also be purchased by cheque. Send an e-mail at mail@profusion.org.uk for details.
