I have just finished your great novel ' 'The Shadow Land' that was published in 2017. Many years ago, I read your novel 'The historian'. That was partly situated in Bulgaria. I am very happy 'The Shadow Land' is entirely located in that country.
Translations
'The historian' was a bestseller, translated in many languages, amongst others Dutch and Bulgarian. For 'The Shadow Land' I noticed just German and Spanish translations. The labour camps were indeed a very dark side of communist Bulgaria. You turned that darkness into a great novel. May I ask whether Alexandra Boyd is your alter ego?
Ties
It is interesting also to read about your ties with Bulgaria. May I call it your "vtorata rodina"? You were there in 1989 for the first time, my first holiday was in 1991, during the coup against Gorbachev. My penfriend at that time was a perfect guide.
Change
During 25 years I visited Bulgaria many times. I lived and worked there a few years. I saw the country change from dark and grey communism to a modern, European country. I went also to other countries in the former Soviet bloc. I was a couple of years freelance journalist Eastern Europe.
Words
Velikolepno napishete za Balgaria. I do love the few Bulgarian words in the novel.
Adventures
My Bulgarian adventures turned into my first novel 'Bulgaars labyrint'. It is about the 1978 umbrella assasination on Georgi Markov, another dark side of Bulgarian communism. My novel was published in 2017 in Dutch.