Friday 6 December 2013

Introducing you to ... Petra Pavlikova

LBPH is really excited to announce  that the paperback edition of the 'Night Shade' anthology is now available in paperback and what better way to celebrate than by introducing you to the rest of the Night Shade authors.

Today it is our great pleasure to introduce you to Petra Pavlikova and her story 'Dark Saviour', a tale of twisted and sinister obsession that is so powerful it breaks all natural orders.

About ...

Petra Pavlíková is a Czech writer, student, and translator. Člověk Sofie v pustině (pub. 2010) is a collection of three pieces she wrote while studying creative writing at Josef Škvorecký Literary Academy in Prague.

“Dark Saviour” is her first story in English. She is currently working on another, an urban fantasy trilogy Hazel the Witch, which is set in Bath, England, but is inspired by folklore of many cultures. She is also rewriting and translating her gothic tale Tangerine from Czech into English.

In 2009 she attended International Summer School at the University of Cambridge. In 2011 she graduated from Anglo-American University in Prague with BA in Humanities, Society and Culture. She studies Romanticism (MA Romantic Studies) at Birkbeck, University of London.

Interview ...
Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m from Czech Republic, but now I live and study in England. I love animals and own way too many books. No, that’s not true, there’s no such thing as too many books.

When did you start writing ‘seriously’?

I think it started with studying creative writing at the Josef Škvorecký Literary Academy in Prague.

What is the favourite thing you have ever written? Tell us a little about it.

Tangerine. It’s a gothic tale with a family curse and a little bit of romance. But it also explores the way people follow (or not follow) their dreams and passions. Giving up on what we really want and conforming to society and its expectations can make us numb. But following our truth without thinking it through might be fatal as well.
I’m very lucky, because one of our family friends is an amazing Czech director, musician, and also writer, and he read it and suggested what I could change and what I could improve. It helped me a lot. It’s written in Czech, but now I’m reworking and rewriting it into English.

Tell us a little about your book / series?

“Dark Saviour” is a Victorian ghost story and also the first piece in English I’ve ever written. The characters cross lines which shouldn’t be crossed and show us the darker side of humanity. I enjoy reading stories like that. I think it’s important for us to read about the dark side of human soul, it helps us to acknowledge and deal with our own darkness. Yes, I like Jung a lot. J

Who is your inspiration?

There are many people I admire for different reasons: Carl Jung, Jane Austen, Anton Chekhov, Daphne du Maurier, J. K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman etc. But I also love mythology, folklore, and fairy-tales. I love literature and music. All these things are my inspiration. And to look around yourself and pay attention to what you see and not see is a great thing as well. J

What are your hopes and ambitions for the future?

I want to write in English more. It’s a challenge, but challenges are good for you.
Also, I want to do yoga more regularly.

What would be your advise to aspiring writers?

Read, write, and read. Believe in your dream. And brace yourself, because there are going to be many rejections. And learn to accept criticism.

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