Alena Sabuchová: Enchanted Forest Edge
– Slovakia
After studying screenwriting and dramaturgy at the Academy of Performing Arts, she made her debut with a collection of short stories Zadné pokoje [Back rooms] (2016), which captures the author’s surrounding world and the people in it. She won several awards, such as the Ivan Krasko Award or the Tatra Bank Foundation Award in the Young Writer category. However, she got more attention with her second book called Šeptuchy [Wisperers] (2019), where she discovers the magical environment of the Polish ‘Podlasie’ Forest Edge, which she fell in love with. In addition, she introduces the themes of transience from the perspective of a teenage girl and themes legends about folk healers. Both linguistic and thematic quality is evidenced by the prestigious Anasoft Litera Award, which the author received for her novel. She also attracted the Slovak High School students in the René Prize, where they voted for her to become the laurate of the award. The author’s style is characterized by a precise capture of the environment, a sensitive depiction of the characters and a documentary tendency.