British Author Launches 3rd Translated YA Book in Georgia
The past weekend saw teens and adults around Tbilisi celebrating Halloween in various ways- with teens happily experimenting with make-up, costumes and venues to better taste the western culture of traditional Halloween fun and frights, now becoming ever more accepted in this small Orthodox country.
Katie Ruth Davies, author of a five-book vampire saga for Young Adults (YA) decided to grab the moment to launch the third of her books to be translated into Georgian - Blood Omen 3: Fulfilment (in Georgian, vampiruli omebi). The event was held in Biblus Gallery, Vake, and around 50 fans aged 10-19 packed into the presentation area, which Katie had decorated with a generous collection of horror-house props.
“It was the best presentation,” said Khato Geliashvili, 16, a sentiment echoed by another of Katie’s long-term fans, Salita Chankvetadze, 15. Both have been avid readers of Katie’s saga since it was first published in Georgian (translator: Ana Chichinadze) two years ago.
Mariam and Nata, winners of the "Best Vampire Costume" prizes
“This presentation was the best!” Salita said. “Everything was well planned. The author’s creativity is unlimited. She’s an incredible person and always ready to talk to her fans on facebook when we contact her.”
Katie divided the guests into two teams, depending on which of the two main love-interests of the story they most supported (the bad guy or the good- the result was more or less 50-50). The author then presented a brief history of her writing and publishing before hitting the group with a 13-question quiz, which the winning team received special Halloween prizes for. Then came time for the cake, designed by MadArt Conditery to display the cover of the 3rd book, and special “Dracula Donuts” and chewy fangs.
“It was a very special evening for me,” Katie said. “Brilliant fun- building on last year’s presentation of Book 2, there was more excitement and definitely more fans! I’d like to thank the publishers, Georgia Today Group, for their encouragement and support and, of course, to thank the fans who came and who are still in touch with me every week. I know a lot more wanted to come to the presentation but were unable- I’ve promised them I’ll do a book tour around Georgia in the near future. In the meantime, I keep up communication on my facebook page. It’s really something incredible to see young people reading my books so enthusiastically and drawing on the ideas and emotions within- to find them believing in the messages and the characters. I love all my fans- I have over 3000 Georgian followers on facebook now!”
The author is in the process of final proof-reading her fifth book of the saga. She is also working on a paranormal YA fantasy set in Georgia. At the presentation, she invited her fans to think up a title for the new book.
“I like to get my fans involved in the process. In fact, the cover of Book 3 was designed in a competition I ran. The winner was 16 year-old Natalia Nozadze from Opiza school. IT designer Beqa Giorgadze then took the design from paper sketch to digital form.”
“Everyone should read this book,” said Mancho Sikharulishvili, 17. “It contains so much emotion...Blood Omen teaches us that we must always fight even if things go wrong...Even when people think there’s no hope, this book teaches us that we must believe! We feel everything that Dea [main character] feels. It will make you cry, laugh, make you believe everything is possible...I finished it in a day and now I can't wait for the next one!”
To support the writer or find out more, go to www.fb.com/bloodomensaga. The books are available in English on amazon.com
Dimitri Dolaberidze