Writer Wednesday: Jelena Lengold

Known for her melancholy, introverted characters and sensual scenes, Jelena Lengold has become one of Serbia’s most accomplished novelists. She began to write during her teenage years in Belgrade after suffering through a few painful break ups. A sense of raw emotion permeates throughout her eleven published works. Jelena says that it was her professor of philosophy who told her to “think with my own head, and heart,” when she was expected to write about the greatness of communism in school. For this Serbian author, writing is a means of discovering sense and logic in the everyday chaos.

Jelena’s two most recent books are called At Three at Kandinsky and Baltimore.The first centers on “middle-aged people who are all trying to survive the fact that life is so short, and day is sometimes so long.” Following a similar theme, her second book tells a story of a middle-aged woman who ponders her life and choices. Within both books are subtle yet poignant moments that fans adore. Despite her success, there are always a few harsh critics. Jelena tells of a British publisher who called her stories pornographic! She says, “I told them this is erotic, not pornography, but with British you never know… What they don’t understand is the fact that erotic literature is much more subversive then pornography!” This particularly fierce British critic, who later asked to produce her book, shows that even the pickiest of readers see the beauty of her writing.

Without a doubt, Jelena is an intriguing person and a true book lover. She says her favorite book is L’Éventail de Séville by Paul-Jacques Bonzon. Jelena admits the book “infected” her from the moment she read it. When asked about why books matter, she replied, “In my life, books were reliable friends and [a] guide and sometimes I had [a] feeling they saved my life. Books are like some temple where we come and recharge our spirit. So, I hope my books mean the same for some people.”