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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