Well, the deadline has arrived, and I haven’t even procrastinated too much, because I have already submitted my entry for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award for 2010: the novel now titled Bratislava. Three cheers for me! Interestingly, in the process of my revisions I went through a folder I had labelled “Bratislava novel” and found a most interesting file which seemed to be the very first idea I ever had for the novel, and it went like this:
I’m not quite sure what, but I really want to write a novel set in Bratislava. I think it would be one of those slightly chaotic stories with lots of different characters whose stories eventually all intertwine. I guess because Bratislava seems to me a chaotic city with so many stories and different histories.
Now that’s exactly how it ended up, with three characters telling their own stories which eventually intermingle, but to be honest, I had no idea why it was like that: now I know! And I still agree that it’s an appropriate way to tell a story set in Bratislava.
Some of you have been wondering aloud about what the novel’s actually about, and since I have had to write a short summary as a pitch for the ABNA contest, I thought I might share part of it with you here:
Bratislava: A Novel
It’s a decade after the demise of communism and three young people stand in the town square of Bratislava: a Slovak, a Korean and an Australian. Bratislava follows the story of how they met, what this multicultural friendship means to them and how it helps them to find their next steps in life. With fried cheese lunches, art gallery excursions to Vienna and shirtless tram drivers, this mainstream fiction novel reminds us that cultural differences are no barrier to friendship, and that regardless of where you come from, people face the same challenges in life.
Bratislava is set in the Slovak capital of Bratislava while the country is trying to find its Western feet, in the years after the Berlin Wall fell. This unique setting of a city being invaded by Western companies provides the impetus for the arrival of Rebecca, an English teacher helping Slovak employees get up to speed with a language only slowly replacing Russian in their curriculum, and Hyun, a Korean student who is lured to Bratislava by a girl, but stays after falling in love with the Slovak language. Raised in eastern Slovakia, Alenka moved to Bratislava to pursue a teaching career, but abandons this when the salary makes it impossible to pay the rent. With alternating chapters told by Rebecca, Hyun and Alenka, Bratislava follows their journeys as they battle with the usual questions asked by twenty-somethings about settling down, finding the right career and dealing with the ups and downs of love.
Let me know what you think: would you want to read this novel if you read this summary? I really hope so!
Tags: ABNA, ABNA contest, Bratislava novel
I love the idea of this multicultural friendship! And I don’t know anything about Bratislava, so I would definitely be interested in learning more about the place. People really like fiction books that they can learn from too. Like Kite Runner (about Afghanistan) or Secret Life of Bees (about beekeeping).
.-= Kristan´s last blog ..All part of the process =-.
Thanks for the positive feedback Kristan, it really helps! These are also the kind of books I like to read so it’s good to be reminded that I’m not the only one … keeping my fingers crossed to progress at least to the next round at ABNA, anyway.
I love the idea! Especially because I can relate to the situation (although I’ve never been to Slovakia) and know how rewarding such friendships are. The story could also be very inspiring for people who haven’t experienced international friendships themselves; who knows, maybe after reading it people will try to broaden their horizon by meeting people from foreign countries or spending some time abroad. Way to go, girl! Keep us posted on the award.
Thanks Andrea, love your good feedback too! I especially like the idea that it might even inspire people to seek the kind of experiences you and I have had (and learnt so much from). That would be an added bonus. Don’t worry, I promise to post updates about the contest … next round announcement is not until the end of February though.
So is the Aussie based on you?
Hey Karlee, very good question. I guess there’s a little bit of me in all my characters, but this Aussie character, Rebecca, doesn’t have too much in common with me – she’s kind of skittish and lost and perpetually single (all of which I hope don’t apply to me). She does teach a couple of students who are remarkably similar to old students of mine though! Oh, and she loves chocolate too