Receiving the Creativitys UK Award for July 2024 feels surreal and humbling simultaneously. When the notification arrived while I was finishing Omnichannel Hearts, I initially thought it was spam — awards for writers still seem like things that happen to other people, not to someone painting nails and collecting secrets in a London studio. The […]
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I read from Eastern Empire at Gŵyl Arall last week. Welsh festival, international writers, Literature Across Frontiers hosting. Expected standard literary event format. What actually happened: mid-discussion, a Ukrainian colleague struggled with a passage in English. I switched to Russian to help clarify. Suddenly three more people joined the conversation—audience members who’d been quiet because
Caernarfon: Reading Eastern Empire in Three Languages Read More »
Called Lydia from Moscow airport yesterday after Omnichannel Hearts presentation. Russian audience response felt disorienting. They understood cultural references but missed technological critique entirely. She shared similar experience presenting Ukrainian work in different contexts. London audiences see displacement narrative. Kyiv audiences see something else entirely. Same work, different reception based on viewer’s position. We’ve been
Writing this from my childhood house, surrounded by the kind of unfiltered family closeness that makes everything else feel like performance. I’ve completed the rough edit of Omnichannel Hearts and decided to retreat here while the manuscript settles before final publication preparations. The irony isn’t lost on me: in the garden beside the house 5G
Summer, Home, and a Digital Heart Read More »
Yesterday’s presentation of Omnichannel Hearts at BooksEvents exceeded every expectation I’d quietly harbored. Fifteen engaged readers gathered at Library 16, and what began as a formal book presentation evolved into something far more meaningful – a genuine dialogue about identity, connection, and the spaces between cultures. The questions were thoughtful, sometimes challenging, always illuminating. Someone
Tomorrow marks something I’ve been anticipating for months – my first literary presentation in Russia. At 7 PM on June 30th, I’ll be at BooksEvents, one of Moscow’s most vibrant book clubs, presenting Omnichannel Hearts to Russian readers. The venue is Library 16 (Novospassky lane, 5, Taganskaya metro), and I can’t help but feel the
Receiving the Stein Arts Award from 50CA Asia feels profoundly meaningful, particularly given its namesake’s extraordinary legacy in nurturing artistic innovation. The recognition comes for my novel “Eastern Empire,” which explores themes of cultural intersection and identity formation across historical boundaries. Gertrude Stein’s Paris salon wasn’t just a gathering place—it was where literary and artistic
Receiving the Stein Arts Award Read More »
Chelsea in Bloom transformed London’s most elegant neighborhood into an outdoor art gallery where flowers became a sculptural medium. Shop windows competed with increasingly elaborate botanical installations that challenged traditional gardening conventions. The world-class alternative floral show proved that flower arranging has evolved far beyond traditional bouquets. Designers used petals like paint, stems like architecture,
Chelsea in Bloom: Floral Revolution Read More »
Second research memo finished for Lydia’s documentary. This one examines how technology shapes immigrant identity formation specifically. Social media maintaining homeland connections while physically distant. My Russian relatives see my London life through Instagram stories. I see their lives through VKontakte posts. Creates simultaneous presence in two places that previous generations couldn’t sustain. Dating apps
Technology and Identity Memo Read More »
The fourth novel is finally taking shape, and I’m thrilled to share that Omnichannel Hearts will arrive at the end of summer. This winter and spring have been spent traveling between megacities and home, gathering material that feels more relevant with each passing day. The research process has been fascinating. In Dubai, I watched shoppers
Omnichannel Hearts coming soon Read More »
Dive into my latest novel that explores art meets algorithm in our hyperconnected world. Multilingual storytelling with visual elements—questioning what’s authentic behind perfectly curated facades.
