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ABOUT AUTHOR Laura Vogt (Teufen, 1989) studied creative writing at the Swiss Literature Institute in Biel and Cultural Studies at the University of Luzern. Her first novel So einfach war es zu gehen came out in 2016. She is also the author of numerous short stories and articles as well as lyrical and dramatic texts. She started writing her second novel Was uns betrifft (What Concerns Us) just two months after having her first child. In her work, Laura is particularly interested in exploring the complexity of relationships, maternity, as well as inquiring into the many forms that womanhood can take. She is currently working on her third novel. Laura lives in the canton of St. Gallen.

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DESCRIPTION. Rahel and Fenna are in their late twenties and early thirties. They are sisters. Their mother Vera brought them up by herself. Vera started a series of romantic relationships with other women, and now suffers from breast cancer. Rahel, a jazz singer, is pregnant and single but in love with writer Boris with whom she eventually moves. While she seems to embrace maternity and family life, she falls pregnant from Boris, and her body turns into a complete alienated part of herself. When the baby is born, she rejects maternity; at the same time, she cannot stop breastfeeding the baby. In the meanwhile, Fenna expects a child from Luc, a man who can turn from charming hippy to aggressor in a heartbeat, raping her on a woodland walk well into their relationship. We follow Fenna throughout her complex response, from rage, to acceptance, to feelings of responsibility and guilt. WHAT CONCERNS US is a blunt depiction of pregnancy, sex, maternity and relationships through the lives of two women.

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PREVIEW (PAGES 1-4)

THE WOLVES OF STARO SELO
  • THE WOLVES OF STARO SELO

THE WOLVES OF STARO SELO

2025 LONDON BOOK FAIR GUEST WRITER
 
"The Wolves of Staro Selo is like a good Gogol story" Dylan Stewart, The Manchester Review
 
"This book is a full-blooded, authentic, figurative-metaphorical reflection of today’s reality!" Kelly Luce, Electric Literature Magazine
 
"Zdravka Evtimova’s sharp prose and vivid characters draw readers into a harsh world that is as compelling as it is unsettling. Her authentic voice shapes a thought-provoking work that does not shy away from the darker aspects of human nature. Through its fragmented yet intimate portrayal of community and family, the novel invites reflection on universal struggles while raising questions about justice, belonging, and human fragility." Nataliya Deleva, author of Arrival

"Evtimova seamlessly brings together the fantastical and the true. The author paints a community that survives by the skin of its teeth but that also sees joy and wonder in the faces of neighbours, in loyalty, and in friendship. The language is exquisite, bursting with juxtaposing portraits of poverty and spectacle." Caroline Hardaker, author
 
In the deprived Bulgarian neighborhood of Staro Selo, crime rules
people’s lives. Unemployment, violence, and corruption are
common concerns. Dimitar becomes wealthy by running Staro
Selo in terror. But old Elena, a witch-like character with a gift for
healing will not shy away from the injustices her neighbors are
forced to endure. A decision that will have consequences for her entire family.
 
Zdravka Evtimova (Pernik, 1959) is a Bulgarian author and translator, winner of numerous literary accolades. Her novels and short story collections have been published in more than ten countries. Her short story “Vassil” was one of the award winners in the BBC international short story competition. The short story collection Pernik Stories won the Balkanika award for Best Book of the Year.
 
Yana Ellis found her ideal career in her middle years and graduated in 2021with a merit in her MA in Translation from the University of Bristol. She was shortlisted for the 2022 John Dryden Translation Competition and in the same year was awarded an ALTA Travel Fellowship. She translates fiction and creative non-fiction from Bulgarian and German. The Wolves of Staro Selo is her first full-length literary translation.
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