Andy's translation of Alejandro Luque's The Sicilian Defence has just been released (30/06/14) by the publisher, Kadalu. It is a compilation of eight stories set in Sicily and is available worldwide on Amazon. Alejandro brings his very original voice to an exploration of contemporary issues, with more than a passing nod to the greats of Sicilian literature. The following lines explain the book in a little more detail.
A talented schoolboy struggles with unseen forces that rip his family apart; a hand-written note hidden in a hotel magazine has dire consequences for a relationship; a private detective hired to track a cheating fiancé is faced with a life and death decision… These short stories provide a window on contemporary Sicilian life seen through the lens of the island’s literary history. They reflect Sicily’s power to encompass perfectly the ideas of Good and Bad, Heaven and Hell, to enmesh them so tightly that, at times, it remains impossible to distinguish the two concepts. This is the English translation of The ‘Alfonso Cossio Short Story Prize’ winning Spanish title La defensa siciliana.
Alejandro Luque is a journalist and writer (Cádiz 1974). He lives in Seville. After working in Cadiz’s local press, he contributed to the cultural section of the Spanish national daily, El País, for five years. He was also deputy editor of the magazine, La Caleta. Since 2005, he has been writing for the Cultura section of the newspaper, El Correo de Andalucía. He is cofounder of the website M’Sur. His other works include the poetry collection, Armas gemelas; the novella, Calle de la soledad antigua; a biography of the flamenco singer, Juan Farina, entitled Que me quiten lo bailao; an analysis of the friendship between Jorge Luis Borges and Fernando Quiñones, Palabras mayores; and the travelogue around Sicily in the footsteps of Borges, Viaje a la Sicilia con un guía ciego.
Diane Donovan from The Midwest Book Review called The Sicilian Defence 'a magnificently crafted series of vignettes exposing the underbelly of choice and its consequences'.
Awesome Indies have awarded it approved status, with the reviewer enthusing that 'the endings are enigmatic but they stay with the reader in their possibilities. I am enthralled by these stories'.
Click the cover below to above on Amazon. If you would prefer to read the compilation in the original Spanish, click the cover below:
