How long did it take you to complete work on Bolla? (Credit: Statovci: Anna Kurki Hackston: Ville Kuukka)ġ. Pajtim Statovci and David Hackston, the author and the translator of Bolla. He graduated from University College London in 1999 with a degree in Scandinavian studies.

David Hackston is a British translator of Finnish and Swedish literature and drama. Bolla was awarded Finland’s highest literary honor, the Finlandia Prize. He is also the author of My Cat Yugoslavia (Pantheon, 2017) and Crossing (Pantheon, 2019), which was a finalist for the National Book Award. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Helsinki. Pajtim Statovci was born in Kosovo in 1990 and moved with his family to Finland when he was two years old. This is a sweeping novel about difference, desire, and the consequences of war. The story extends into the 2000s, weaving back and forth in time, and is punctuated by the legend of a demonic serpent. “But now, as we touch, there is nothing between us that is strange or foreign to the other.” When the violence in the region escalates, Arsim’s family decides to leave the country and Miloš enlists in the army, and yet despite their abrupt separation, they remain forever touched by each other. Arsim, who is married and a soon-to-be father, is Albanian, while Miloš is Serbian. Bolla follows Arsim and Miloš, two young men who first meet in Kosovo in 1995-as the threat of war looms-and begin an affair. This week’s installment of Ten Questions features Pajtim Statovci and David Hackston, the author and the translator of the novel Bolla, which is out today from Pantheon.

Crossing pajtim statovci