Zita Muranyi is the Author of On Mr. Darcy's Sofa!
I'm a Hungarian writer and poet. I graduated from the University of Szeged with a degree in communication. My first novel, entitled Mirrorpalace (Tükörpalota) was published in 2003, and I received the Sandor Bródy Prize in 2004. They awarded this prize to the best debut authors. I had four books of poems and three novels published in Hungarian.On Mr. Darcy’s sofa is my first novel in English.
What is your favourite character of another author?
I really like Dorian Gray, and Oscar Wilde's idea itself, I think it's a masterful one, that someone doesn't age, only in their picture. I often try to paraphrase Dorian's history somehow in my own novels. Which is then resolved by the masterful ending.
Have you ever done a literary pilgrimage or travelled far specifically for a book/author event?
In my own country it's occurred, I've sometimes travelled to a remote rural town for a book event or an author. My future plans include a visit to England for similar events.
Have you ever cried at a book?
Although I was quite moved by Daniel Keyes' Flowers for Algernon, I can't remember crying over a book, although I love to read. Interestingly, a film or music can make me cry more, I think it can somehow have a more direct effect on our emotions.
Do you prefer fiction, non-fiction or both?
Maybe I prefer fiction because it can open up new worlds that don't exist, but if a science book is written on a subject that interests me, I'm happy to pick it up.
How do you feel when you start a book, in the middle, and when you finish?
The initial phase and the final phase are the most similar. At the beginning, I am full of desire and enthusiasm to start writing a novel, and at the end I feel grateful and happy that I have managed to organise my thoughts and give life to my heroes. And in between, I experience the full range of emotions, from overconfidence to utter despair.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
I think all my novels stand on their own without conscious effort, but because I usually deal with similar themes, my writings are still connected by invisible threads. And that is perhaps true of all writers' lifework.
When did you know you were going to be a writer?
I decided when I was 14, but I had been tempted since I was 8, when a teacher at primary school read out one of my first poems in front of the class and the others applauded.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
Cat, lion, butterfly - as an expression of strength and spirituality.
What does literary success look like to you?
Professional recognition and a lot of enthusiastic readers. I think the feedback from the latter is also very important, because I write books primarily for them, it's important to get my thoughts across to people and touch their souls.
Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?
I used to say that, writing is a spiritual compulsion for me.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
I think there are always subtle layers in my novels that very few readers discover, or nobody notice at all. But it's also interesting that everyone likes a different part of it, highlights something else, or perhaps sees or feels something else in the writing that maybe wasn't even intended in it. Everyone reads a bit of themselves in every book. They draw parallels with their own lives as they read, they read themselves into the book.
What book do you wish you’d written and why?
Every time I read a book that is well written and has a real impact, I wish I had written it.
Find Zita's work on Amazon and her website! She is also a member of Poets of the Planet.
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