Roman Simić, der kroatische Autor unseres gerade erschienenen Titels In was wir uns verlieben, ist der erste unserer Autoren, der uns für unsere neue Blogrubrik »Autoreninterviews« Rede und Antwort stand. Weitere Interviews werden in unregelmäßigen Abständen folgen.
Roman Simić, Jahrgang 1972, war Redakteur der bedeutenden kroatischen Literaturzeitschrift Quorum und ist Organisator und Programmdirektor des renommierten Festival of the European Short Story. Seine Erzählungen wurden ins Französische, Spanische, Schwedische, Slowenische, Polnische, Bulgarische, Serbische, Litauische und Englische übersetzt. 2005 wurde ihm für »In was wir uns verlieben« der Jutarnji-List-Preis für das beste kroatische Prosawerk verliehen.
Roman, to get to know you a little bit: Describe what a normal day in your life looks like.
Trust me, it used to be so easy to describe it (in those oh-so-far-away times before I became a father)! Or should i say: it was more like in a movies with all those wild parties, travelling, living on the edge, (i.e.) playing computer games until late at night … Believe it or not, I lived almost like (a Croatian version of) James Bond! And now … look at me: the only true danger is would the little one come back from kindergarten safe&sound, and should she fall asleep before me and my beloved wife, which would leave us at least some time to party at our own … And what I do in-between? I do wake up, do take my train to work, performing all those incredible creative things editors in publishing houses do; sometimes even managing to steal some time for making notes, writing down the ideas, sketches for all those literary masterpieces to come … But normally i’m just too eager to jump in that warm little family circle of mine, have a nice walk, have a quiet evening, and then after a black-tea-break try to write something for real. Of, course, I’m still unpredictable, you know. :-))
What have been the most exciting occurences in your life as an artist?
To write. Simple as that. And still is. I had some prize-kicks, got some praises, but nothing can compare with that tremble, that nervosis you feel after a blank page, or in that very special moment when thing you write make that »clic«, when everything gets together in some good way, making you smarter than you thought you really were.
What made you become a writer? How did »it« start?
Girls, of course. For some reason, I believed your sex life has something to do with the fact that you consider yourself a writer or make some effort to become one. How wrong I was, how terribly wrong! But when I realized the truth, I already had a first book of poetry, started to write prose, so I say, what the hack, little bit of abstinence haven’t harmed anyone … And again: how wrong, how terribly wrong I was!
What do you like most about your profession?
Voices. Good literary voices, good writers, good books. Like to work with good translators, to see how under a skillfull pen a text changes its media, its language, its world, its universe, becoming something else, but still remaining the same. I like good readers too, to comment books with them, whenever there’s a chance, to see the book i edited changed them or made them happy in some way. It’s not bad to be that kind of mediator, feeling hidden and exposed at the same time, feeling good, I’d say. That’s what i like about it, besides some stuff i don’t but luckily, you didn’t ask me that one. :-)
Is there something that inspires your writing? Are there any role models?
The only inspiration is life itself, the one i live, or those lived around me. Of course, the life mediated through literature as well. Have many writers i like, many i adore, many i envy … but the only one that is going to write my lines is me. Fortunately or not, that’s a bottom line no role models, just a role and a question: am i going to be good playing it.
What are your plans for the near future? Any new books?
Yes! But, don’t get me wrong: i’m a bit superstitious never put my bet on Croatian football clubs, never talk about the things I haven’t finished (or at least wrote a half of it).
… ein weiteres Interview mit Roman Simi? gibt es hier.
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