Novelist Doina Ruști was a guest on the 22 September edition of Jurnal Cultural, broadcast by TVR and presented by Bogdan Stănescu.
The conversation began with her new novel, Matuf, peruchierul, published by Humanitas Junior, and turned to the literary events awaiting her this autumn.
Matuf, peruchierul is a speculative thriller that connects eighteenth-century Bucharest with the present day. It begins in Lipscani, where a wigmaker’s shop appears overnight and a girl’s disappearance prompts Nane to step inside. From there, the story moves into the present, opening up a play of encounters between different eras, identities, and possibilities hidden within ordinary things. Written with young readers in mind, the novel also speaks to adults.
Bogdan Stănescu asked Doina Ruști which of the novel’s characters she finds most complex. She spoke about Matuf and his magical hair, as well as typological symbolism and technological mythologies.
During the programme, Doina Ruști also spoke about the book’s launch, scheduled for 1 October at the Humanitas Cișmigiu Bookshop. It will be her first meeting with Bucharest readers to discuss the new novel.
Two other invitations follow this autumn. At the opening of the academic year at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iași, Doina Ruști will deliver an address to students and faculty.
A highlight of the autumn will be her visit to the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL), where she has been invited to take part in several events. As Doina Ruști said, the fair will offer an opportunity to meet writers and publishers and to speak about her work before a wide audience.
