A contemporary interpretation of the myth of Orpheus, the history of classical guitar, a fairy tale of revenge and forgiveness - these are the main storylines in the novel "The Descent of the Lyre” whose main action is set in Bulgaria at the beginning of the 19th century. Two years after its release on the book market in the UK and the U.S., the volume is already "at home" in the hands of its Bulgarian readers, thanks to Enthusiast publishing house and Lecti Center based in Varna.
When almost ten years ago he was for the first time traveling in Bulgaria, British writer Will Buckingham never imagined what impact the so-called Magical Mountain would exert on his senses. The village of Gela, Shiroka Laka, the Trigradsko Gorge and Devil's Throat Cave, Bachkovski Monastery - there, among the mountain trails wanders the author and the main character in his novel Ivan Gelski. Why Bulgaria and why the Rhodopes - answers from the author Will Buckingham himself who arrived in Sofia for the official launch of his novel on 9 April hosted by Greenwich Book center:
“The reason I decided to set the novel in Bulgaria is due primarily to my interest in the myths of Orpheus - he says. - When I first came to Bulgaria in 2005, I visited some of the places associated with the legend of Orpheus , and since I myself am a musician , to me they are of great interest. Also for a long time, I was fascinated by the Bulgarian folk music with its somehow unworldly melodies and irregular rhythms. I come back the following year and I felt more and more intrigued by the places and people. That is why in 2007 I returned again, but this time to do real research. I spent two months in the Rhodope Mountains, where I immersed myself into the atmosphere, nature and the music of the mountains. I think the Rhodopes are a place which also Bulgarian writers such as Nikolai Hajtov very clearly depict in their works, especially evoking the nature, legends and music which are inextricably linked in many ways, and it is this deep connection between them that provoked my curiosity".
Besides his personal impressions from talking with locals, in order to explore Bulgarian history, folklore and traditions Will used multiple sources in English such as “Bulgarian folk customs” of Mercia McDermott and "Monumenta Bulgarica of Thomas Butler. But quite surprisingly for the Bulgarian readers in the novel we hear the strings not of the traditional Bulgarian tambura or gadulka, but of the classical guitar. How did it end up in the hands of a Bulgarian rebel from the early 19th century and at the end of the novel in the hands of an unknown Orthodox saint?
"Surely this is quite unusual and in the beginning my friends in Bulgaria were rather skeptical of this idea, says the author. But I had to choose the guitar as it is my favorite instrument. I found a number of plausible historical reasons to justify the appearance of a traveling musician in the Bulgarian lands in this historic moment and to motivate the decision of the protagonist Ivan to play the guitar. On the other hand, for me the novel is not so much a retelling of the myth of Orpheus, but as a set of variations upon themes, like musical improvisation. The story very simply is about a young man whose bride is taken away from him the night before the wedding. He takes the path of revenge, joins a group of rebels, becomes cruel and unforgiving and it is here the music appears that transforms him", says the author.
Seven years after his last visit to Bulgaria, Will Buckingham was happy to see his cherished desire accomplished – his novel meeting with Bulgarian audience: It's a pleasure to be here, to see old friends, to create new ones. I certainly intend to come back, and why not in connection with a new literary venture, he hinted.
Will Buckingham’s visit in Bulgaria now continues with a trip to Varna, where he will lead a workshop on creative writing and will meet more of his readers this Saturday (12 April).
Will Buckingham is a British writer and professor of creative writing at De Montfort University in Leicester, UK. Author of several children’s books and philosophical writing. His novel The Descent of the Lyre was shortlisted by the British magazine Bookseller in 2012 and was nominated for the annual literary prize East Midlands Book Award in 2013.
