''Seven Terrors'' is a science fiction novel by Selvedin Avdić. Originally published in 2010 in Bosnian, it was translated into
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Culture, language and peoples
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
* ''English'', an Amish ter ...
by
Coral Petkovich
Coral Petkovich is an Australian writer of biographies and a translator of both Bosnian and Croatian to English.
Her 2012 translation of Selvedin Avdić's 2010 book '' Seven Terrors'' was shortlisted for the Science Fiction & Fantasy Translati ...
published in the UK by
Istros Books
Istros books is a London-based independent publisher of writers from South-East Europe and the Balkans, in English translation. It was set up in 2011 by Susan Curtis.
Publications
Notable publications include:
*''Doppelgänger'' by Daša Drndić ...
in 2012.
The book, which includes themes of violence, oppression and injustice, is set in post-war Bosnia. The unnamed protagonist, while dealing with depression, navigates an underground mystical world, in search of a lost friend.
The book won praise from literary correspondents
Nicholas Lezard
Nicholas Andrew Selwyn LezardThe Cambridge University List of Members up to 31 December 1991, Cambridge University Press, p. 814 is an English journalist, author and literary critic.
Background and education
The Lezard family went from London to ...
and
Eileen Battersby
Eileen Battersby ( Whiston; 4 June 1956 – 23 December 2018) was the chief literary critic of ''The Irish Times''. She sometimes divided opinion, having been described by John Banville as "the finest fiction critic we have", while attracting ...
. It was nominated for the
International Dublin Literary Award
The International Dublin Literary Award (), established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, is presented each year for a novel written or translated into English. It promotes excellence in world literature and is solely ...
Seven Terrors is the debut novel of Bosnian writer Selvedin Avdić translated into English by Coral Petkovich in 2012. The English language publication is by Istros Books.
The book's Bosnian title is ''Sedam Strahova''.
Synopsis
The book is set in post-
war
War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
Bosnia.Rachel Cordasco. “What to Read Now: Horror in Translation.” ''
World Literature Today
''World Literature Today'' (''WLT'') is an American magazine of international literature and culture, published at the University of Oklahoma. The magazine's stated goal is to publish international essays, poetry, fiction, interviews, and book ...
'', vol. 93, no. 1, 2019, pp. 8–9. ''JSTOR'', . Accessed 17 Mar. 2023. It is narrated by an unnamed former radio journalist. The protagonist, who split with his wife 9 months prior, is struggling with depression and ethnic tensions. The protagonist meets Mirna, the daughter of an old and now missing friend Aleksa and helps her navigate a mystical underground.
Themes in the book include systemic violence, worker oppression, and injustice.
Critical reception
Nicholas Lezard
Nicholas Andrew Selwyn LezardThe Cambridge University List of Members up to 31 December 1991, Cambridge University Press, p. 814 is an English journalist, author and literary critic.
Background and education
The Lezard family went from London to ...
writing in ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' described the book as "remarkable" and states that "This is a story that starts off weird and gets weirder, but with the logic and clamminess of a bad dream. It's quite unlike anything I've read before, but it has all the consistency and force of something major and assured" Ali Alizadeh, writing in the
Sydney Review of Books
The ''Sydney Review of Books'' (''SRB'') is an online literary magazine established in 2013.
According to the journal's inaugural editor James Ley it was created to address shortcomings in Australian book reviews.
Awards
In 2019 ''SRB'' co ...
calls the novel "gripping", "spinechilling," and "a terrifically compelling discourse on war, violence and humanity's dark heart".
The Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...
' literary correspondent
Eileen Battersby
Eileen Battersby ( Whiston; 4 June 1956 – 23 December 2018) was the chief literary critic of ''The Irish Times''. She sometimes divided opinion, having been described by John Banville as "the finest fiction critic we have", while attracting ...
described the book as witty and surreal.
The book was longlisted for the
International Dublin Literary Award
The International Dublin Literary Award (), established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, is presented each year for a novel written or translated into English. It promotes excellence in world literature and is solely ...