The Book of Tbilisi: A City in Short Fiction (Reading the City)

A rookie reporter, searching for his first big story, re-opens a murder case that once saw crowds of protestors surround Tbilisi's central police station... A piece of romantic graffiti chalked outside a new apartment block sends its residents into a social media frenzy, trying to identify the two lovers implicated by it.... A war-orphaned teenager looks after his dying sister in an abandoned railway carriage on the edge of town, hoping that someday soon the state will take care of them... In the 26 years since Georgia declared independence from the Soviet Union, the country and its capital, Tbilisi, have endured unimaginable hardships: one coup d'état, two wars with Russia, the cancer of organised crime, and prolonged periods of brutalising, economic depression. Now, as the city begins to flourish again – drawing hordes of tourists with its eclectic architecture and famous, welcoming spirit – it's difficult to reconcile the recent past with this glamorous and exotic present. With wit, warmth, heartbreaking realism, and a distinctly Georgian sense of neighbourliness, these ten stories do just that. 'Acts as an introduction to a literature quite neglected by the Anglophone world... the language consistently has the direct, clean and unadorned quality of great fiction.' – Luke Kennard. ‘A soaring, searing collection – important new stories that are sure to live long in the memory.’ – Eley Williams, author of Attrib. Published with the support of the Georgian National Book Center and the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia. "Tbilisi is the largest city and capital of Georgia, with a population of more than 1.5 million people. Situated at the boundary between Europe and Asia, this fiercely independent city is home to different ethnic groups and languages, having been fought over by rival empires and powers for centuries. This complex history of foreign dominance and independence struggles, its mixture of orthodox Christianity with Arabic and Turkish influences, and its completely unique language and script, are all reflected in the literary voices emerging from the city, just as its architecture displays an enigmatic mix of Middle Eastern, Art Nouveau, Stalinist ambition and Modernism."--Amazon.com viewed Sept. 23, 2021 The Book of Tbilisi brings together ten short stories written about and from the Georgian capital, showcasing the work of some of the country's most exciting and decorated contemporary writers.