This is a book that lives in two parts – one set in the Ottoman empire of the 16th century, and the other in our own 21st century reality. Here we have the story of two friends, both taken as children from their homes and inducted into the Turkish Sultan’s private guard: Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, the Serbian shepherd boy who rose to the position of Grand Vizier and Koca Mimar Sinan, the ‘Michelangelo of the East’. Between them they represent both destruction and creation, while at the same time providing us with a harrowing insight into the heart of religion and identity. Back in our own time, we hear the voice of the author, sharing with us his experiences in the modern world, and his musings on faith, identity and nation. This is a truly ambitious book that rewards the reader with insights into some of the great questions of our time.

Vladislav Bajac is a novelist, story-teller, poet and publisher, born in 1954 in Belgrade. He has also worked as a journalist and translator. From English into Serbian, he has edited and translated dozens of literary texts, including several anthologies and books, among which are: The Poets of the Beat Generation (1979), Trip – a guide to contemporary American poetry ( 1983), Zen Stories (1980) and Chan Stories, Leonard Cohen’s The Energy of Slaves (1981), What am I Doing Here (1984). He edited the anthology The Latest Stories of Belgrade/(1981). His poetry can be found in the books Which Way Leads to People (1972) and The Way of Haiku (1988). He won the Haiku Poetry Award for his poetry in Tokyo in 1991 and 1993.

Cathy

Business coach and professional flâneur

select this book