TOMISLAV TAKAČ

TOMISLAV TAKAČ

Tomislav Takač is a writer whom I admire especially for how he shows belief in his dream.

About himself he says: My name is Tomislav Takač and I am a 32-year-old laborer and a beginning writer in Subotica. I started writing 4 years ago and since then I have been writing short stories and have written and published the novel Strigorovu Šuma.

He has been updating me on his progress for a long time, and in the beginning we tried to overcome linguistic obstacles because despite the great help of translators it is not always easy and straightforward to understand a written text without losing its distinctiveness.

However, Tomislav began to translate and write in English as well, so I was able to truly understand the nature of his book Strigorov’s Forest

Originally started as Strigorova Šuma, the book has since been translated and Tomislav has also produced a kind of animated trailer.

Knowing me, you must have guessed that I really liked it immediately, from the first notes of the “soundtrack” … you recognized it too, didn’t you?

Rock aside, I became immediately attached to Erena’s character, I could say that she brought me into Tomislav’s world: a Fantasy world composed of fantastical figures but traversed by fully realistic action protagonists.

The secret of the silver door is the first story Tomislav pointed out to me.

Here instead you can find the first chapter of Yelena, First Blood.

Among the other stories I particularly liked Jack which I also found moving.

Not only Fantasy then, not only Action, not only Science Fiction, but the sum of many different facets that come together transporting the reader on an incredible journey.

And Tomislav concretized this path in every possible way, even working with an artist to turn his story into comics as well.

Coffee is often mentioned.

Regarding the cafes, Tomislav sent me videos showing Sarajevo.

I thank him because it gave me great pleasure: so far my knowledge of Sarajevo was limited to reading Margaret Mazzantini’s Venuto al mondo, for which I thank both Monica and Elisa

Do you know better than I do?

Tomislav was kind enough to send me this video that shows an interesting coffee route in Sarajevo and describes us Bosnian coffee and their Java

I got hooked on this tradition of “fortune-telling,” you know we had already mentioned the reading of the coffee grounds, but in this case the story being told and the star at the bottom of the cup are really enchanting.

I also found fantastic the coincidence that the particular street shown in the video of this Bosnian café was a street dedicated to shoe making

And this is a small view of Subotica, Serbia, Tomislav’s hometown.

LA PIETRA CANTANTE – THE SINGING STONE

LA PIETRA CANTANTE – THE SINGING STONE

I thank very much Laura who immediately fulfilled the wish I had expressed, making me discover The singing Stone

Threepenny works for four cats” could I not immediately fall in love with this book necklace?

IMAGAENARIA is an old-fashioned bookshop, as less and less are found in Italy … the presentation looks like the beginning of a fairy tale and I honestly still am enchanted when I read these things and I feel grateful for the precious recovery of unjustly forgotten works of literature from every time and country.

Vilhelm Bergsøe who I discovered a frequenter of the Caffè Greco in Rome as a member of the Scandinavian Circle was a zoologist and in his book a meticulous and dedicated attention to Nature in all its aspects.

While I was reading, I never stopped imagining Laura intent on her translation work:  which must not have been easy at all and for which I can only congratulate her endlessly.

I don’t know about you, but very often, reading books by foreign authors, I do not dwell sufficiently on the scope of the work of those who translate, which undoubtedly plays an essential role.

It is far from simple in fact to recreate the same atmospheres that the author generates with his completely personal way of writing and to keep faith with the original writing style.

Writing is the painting of the voice.

I believe that this quote by Voltaire contains the essence of what level the necessary competence must reach to translate “painting” into another language.

Among other things, The singing Stone is very rich in detailed descriptions of the environment and vegetation, with names of plants that I, for example, did not even know.

A book that has the power to carry the reader on the same path to discover a part of the island of Ischia known only to those who were born there, and who have handed down the stories of their ancestors.

An exploration in nature, but also in time, among the legends that I particularly love and which reunite natural phenomena with the history experienced by the people, in a complete immersion in the magical atmosphere of the place.

Obviously I don’t want to completely reveal the identity of the singing Stone so as not to spoil the pleasure of discovery, which I advise you not to miss.

Rather, we will reconfirm my highest esteem to Laura.
Again and again thank you!

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