Monday, October 12, 2015

UK-based Romanian author's first novel in English becomes a sensation

Murder mystery The Book of Mirrors, snapped up by publishers in 18 countries, is expected to make Eugene Chirovici a seven-figure sum


Eugene Chirovici
Eugene Chirovici moved to Britain three years ago because his son was studying at Cardiff University. Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian
He came to live in Britain only three years ago, now Eugene Chirovici’s first attempt at writing a novel in English has become a global publishing phenomenon.

The Romanian author’s murder mystery, The Book of Mirrors, has been snapped up by publishers in 18 countries – with auctions having involved up to 11 publishers in each territory. Smaller countries such as Iceland, which tend to wait until an untested English-language book has proved itself in the UK and US, have also bought the novel before its publication in 2017.

Chirovici, 51, who lives in Reading, wrote 10 “literary mystery” novels in Romania over the past two decades, but the market was too small for him to live off his books and he worked as a journalist. Now he is expected to make a seven-figure sum from the publishing deals alone.
He said: “I’m not sure I realise what’s happening. It is very overwhelming and unexpected.” 
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