Matias Riikonen, the author of Matara, is touring Germany in a series of upcoming events, author discussions and panels to celebrate the publication of the German edition of Matara by Karl Rauch Verlag.
Monday October 14th Matias Riikonen will be in an author conversation with his German translator Maximilian Murmann at 19 in Berlin, at the Nordic Embassies Felleshus. The conversation will center around Matara, the fictional world of the book, and its themes.
Matara is the story of boys who spend their summers building realms of their own. Senators scheme in togas made of sheets, mannequins make for wives, and circus entertainments are devised to thrill the charcoal-whiskered rabble.
A blow from a wooden sword means a death from which there is no return. And foreign people are treated the way they generally are: pitilessly. With the cruel nations of yore prowling the borders of the Republic of Matara, neither birthright nor wealth excuse one from the military drills that ensure the realm’s safety. Under the guidance of his older brother, a young boy trains to be a scout. While spying, the pair come upon an enemy camp: war is at hand.
Matias Riikonen’s fourth novel takes children seriously in a way few other works have. In Riikonen’s hands, the birdsong-filled woods of early summer and the boys’ violence and tenderness meld into superb, startling literature. At times one forgets one is reading a portrayal of boys at play; at others, one fears one is reading a description of reality.
Mark your calendars, and don’t miss out on this event!