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Doina Ruști (, born 15 February 1957) is a
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
n writer and novelist. Some of her novels are: 2008, ', 2006, and ''Lizoanca la 11 ani'', 2009. Her best-known novel in the English-speaking world is ''The Book of Perilous Dishes''.


Biography

Ruști was born in Comoșteni,
Dolj County Dolj County (; originally meant ''Dol(no)-Jiu River, Jiu'', "lower Jiu", as opposed to ''Gorj'' (''upper Jiu'')) is a county (județ) of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in Oltenia, with the capital city at Craiova. Demographics In 2011, ...
. She was brought up in a village in the south of
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
by her parents and teachers, struggling to survive in a
communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
world. Her blood accommodates ancestry ranging from Montenegrin to
Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
and especially Danubian
Romanians Romanians (, ; dated Endonym and exonym, exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group and nation native to Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. Sharing a Culture of Romania, ...
, all with long names ending in ''-escu'', most of them teachers, store keepers, and horse dealers. Her childhood home in Comoșteni preserved the experiences of a
Balkan The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
world, collected throughout hundreds of years. Ruști's youth was spent in a house which had saved the traces of a past rich in events, carriages, coffers, and period clothes, crowned by plenty of books and objects which incited her imagination. But this world had brutally come to an end. When she was eleven, her father was murdered under mysterious circumstances, which have not been elucidated even to this day. The insecurity, oppression, absurd rules and chaos installed at the end of
communism Communism () is a political sociology, sociopolitical, political philosophy, philosophical, and economic ideology, economic ideology within the history of socialism, socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a ...
blended with the fantastic universe of a village governed by ghost tales, hierophanies, and underground forces, and this dramatic and magical setting inspired the novel ''Fantoma din moară'' (''The Ghost in the Mill''). For this novel, she was awarded the Prize of the
Writers' Union of Romania The Writers' Union of Romania (), founded in March 1949, is a professional association of writers in Romania. It also has a subsidiary in Chișinău, Republic of Moldova. The Writers' Union of Romania was created by the communist regime by takin ...
.


Work

A representative contemporary writer, Ruști has a wide variety of topics covered in her novels with a systematic construction. Some of her books were translated into international languages. Her novel ''Lizoanca la 11 ani'', 2009, 2017 was awarded the Ion Creangă Prize of the
Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its bylaws, the academy's ma ...
. It was remarked as "one of the most powerful contemporary
Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
novels", from the point of view of its themes and typology construction (according to
Paul Cernat Paul Cernat (born August 5, 1972 in Bucharest) is a Romanian essayist and literary critic. He has a Ph.D. summa cum laude in philology. Cernat has been a member of the Writers' Union of Romania since 2009. As of 2013, he is lecturer of Romanian l ...
, Gelu Ionescu, în vol. ''Târziu de departe'', Ed Cartea Românească, 2012, pp. 112 si urm. Gelu Ionescu is the exeget of Eugen Ionesco. On its publication, ''Lizoanca'' caused debates, as it brought to the public's attention the story of a child almost unanimously accused of the atrocities committed by the accusers. Translated into
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
,
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
,
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
, Hungarian, and Serbian, the novel had reviews and kindled debates on taboo themes, such as
pedophilia Pedophilia ( alternatively spelled paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of pube ...
,
domestic abuse Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. In a broader sense, abuse including nonphysical abuse in such settings is called domestic abuse. The term "domestic violence" is often use ...
, the issue of children with incompetent parents (Marina Freier and
Magyar Nemzet ''Magyar Nemzet'' ('', '') is a major Hungarian newspaper published in Hungary, and styled itself as "close to the current Hungarian government led by Viktor Orbán" as of 2019. History and profile ''Magyar Nemzet'', a moderate conservative d ...
). For that matter, the topic of family decay as an institution is recurrent in all the novels written by Doina Ruști. Her bestseller '' (The Phanariot Manuscript)'', 2015, 2016, 2017), which novelizes a18th-century's love story, was followed by Mâța Vinerii (''The Book of Perilous Dishes'', 2017), a tale about sorcerers and magical culinary recipes, translated into English, German, Spanish, and Hungarian. These two books give a perspective on a quite controversial historical period: the 18th
Phanariot Phanariots, Phanariotes, or Fanariots (, , ) were members of prominent Greeks, Greek families in Fener, Phanar (Φανάρι, modern ''Fener''), the chief Greek quarter of Constantinople where the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, Ecume ...
century. The stodgy
style Style, or styles may refer to: Film and television * ''Style'' (2001 film), a Hindi film starring Sharman Joshi, Riya Sen, Sahil Khan and Shilpi Mudgal * ''Style'' (2002 film), a Tamil drama film * ''Style'' (2004 film), a Burmese film * '' ...
, the poetic overlay and the narrative fluidity were hallmarks of these two books. She is also the author of the novel'' Omulețul roșu (The Little Red Man,'' 2004, 2012), which was awarded the prize of the magazine ''
Convorbiri Literare ''Convorbiri Literare'' () is a Romanian literary magazine published in Romania. It is among the most important journals of the nineteenth-century Romania. History and profile ''Convorbiri Literare'' was founded by Titu Maiorescu in 1867. The ma ...
,'' and the multi-awarded ''Zogru'' (2006, 2015), a meta-novel translated into Italian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, and Spanish. Ruști brings a specific vision into literature, exhibited throughout all strata of her work, but especially from a linguistic point of view. The creativity of expression lends the marker of her writing. She also wrote a number of short stories, published in periodicals and anthologies.


Style

Taking an interest in both the fantastic and realist genres, Doina Ruști succeeds in writing as persuasively about the atrocities of the contemporary world and high ideals. Her novels often feature rapists, murderers, people who are starving, become corrupt or consumed by trivial commitments, reminding us of
William Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner (; September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American writer. He is best known for William Faulkner bibliography, his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, a stand-in fo ...
's characters – writer who has always inspired her. Ruști also brings to life
fantastic Fantastic or Fantastik may refer to: Music * ''Fantastic'' (Toy-Box album) * ''Fantastic'' (Wham! album) * '' Fan-Tas-Tic (Vol. 1)'', an album by Slum Village * '' Fantastic, Vol. 2'', an album by Slum Village * ''Fantastic'' (EP), an EP by ...
characters, elves, sprites, ghosts, magical cats and
sorcerer Sorcerer may refer to: Magic * Sorcerer (supernatural), a practitioner of magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources * Sorcerer (fantasy), a fictional character who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sou ...
s, which prompted some critics to compare her work with
Marc Chagall Marc Chagall (born Moishe Shagal; – 28 March 1985) was a Russian and French artist. An early modernism, modernist, he was associated with the School of Paris, École de Paris, as well as several major art movement, artistic styles and created ...
, with
Mikhail Bulgakov Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( ; rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐfɐˈnasʲjɪvʲɪdʑ bʊlˈɡakəf; – 10 March 1940) was a Russian and Soviet novelist and playwright. His novel ''The M ...
's, Süskind's and Márquez's 5/span> (according to Dan C. Mihăilescu, Marco Dotti and
Neue Zürcher Zeitung The (''NZZ''; "New Newspaper of Zurich") is German language daily newspaper, published by NZZ Mediengruppe in Zurich. The paper was founded in 1780. It has a reputation as a high-quality newspaper, as the German Swiss newspaper of record ...
). The diversified themes that are strongly related to the present, as well as the ability of Doina Rusti of switching between registers, place her among the writers of contemporary Romanian literature (according to
Nicolae Breban Nicolae Breban (; born 1 February 1934) is a Romanian novelist and essayist of partial Germans, German descent. Biography Breban was born in Baia Mare, Maramureș County, Transylvania, Socialist Republic of Romania, the son of Vasile Breban, a ...
, Norman Manea, Daniel Cristea-Enache).


Doina Ruști – Romanian Novelist and Cultural Voice in Eastern European Literature

Doina Ruști is one of Romania's most respected literary figures, with a career spanning over three decades. Author of fourteen novels, three short story collections, and multiple screenplays, she is widely recognized for her work in blending historical realism with fantastical elements. Her novels explore themes of memory, identity, and power, often set against the backdrop of totalitarian regimes and the shifting cultural landscape of the Balkans (după Pompilia Chifu: ''Doina Ruști, un personaj în propria carte,'' Casa Cărții de Știință, 2025.) .She is frequently mentioned alongside major names in Romanian literature such as
Mircea Cărtărescu Mircea Cărtărescu (; born 1 June 1956) is a Romanian novelist, poet, short-story writer, literary critic, and essayist. Biography Born in Bucharest in 1956, he attended Cantemir Vodă National College during the early 1970s. During his sc ...
, Gabriela Adameșteanu, Varujan Vosganian, and Dan Lungu. Like these contemporaries, Ruști's fiction resonates across generations and national boundaries, having been translated into over 17 languages and published by houses across Europe (după Pompilia Chifu, op.cit). Her work is studied in schools and often compared to Eastern European authors such as
Olga Tokarczuk Olga Nawoja Tokarczuk (; born 29 January 1962) is a Polish writer, activist, and public intellectual. She is one of the most critically acclaimed and successful authors of her generation in Poland. In 2019, she was awarded the 2018 Nobel Pri ...
or
Herta Müller Herta Müller (; born 17 August 1953) is a Romanian-German novelist, poet, essayist and recipient of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature. She was born in Nițchidorf (; ), Timiș County in Romania; her native languages are German and Romanian. Si ...
for its thematic density and emotional reach. Despite a brief involvement as a screenwriter on the 2015 film ''The Miracle of Tekir'', Doina Ruști is primarily — and enduringly — a novelist. Her literary identity has remained firmly rooted in fiction, and her influence within the Romanian literary world far outweighs any incidental connection to film production. As a writer, scholar, and professor of cultural history, Ruști remains an essential voice in the European literary conversation, particularly amon
women writers from post-communist societies
Her presence at international literary events — including alongsid
Tracy Chevalier in London
and a
festivals
�� confirms her status as a translatable and resonant voice in world literature.


Novels

* ''Ferenike,'
Humanitas, 2025
* Zavaidoc în anul iubirii (Zavaidoc in the Year of Love)
Bookzone
2024 * ''Paturi oculte (Occult Beds)''
Litera
2020 * ''Homeric'',
Polirom Polirom or Editura Polirom ("Polirom" Publishing House) is a Romanian publishing house with a tradition of publishing classics of international literature and also various titles in the fields of social sciences, such as psychology, sociology, and ...
, 2019 * ''Logodnica'' (''The Fiancée''), Polirom, 2017 * ' (''The Book of Perilous Dishes''), Polirom, 2017 * , Trei, 2009; Polirom, Top 10+, 2017 * ', (''The Phanariot Manuscript'') Polirom, 2015, 2016 * ', 2nd ed, Polirom, Top 10+, 2013 * ''Mămica la două albăstrele'' (''The Story of an Adulterer''), Polirom, 2013 * ''Patru bărbați plus Aurelius'' (''Four Men Plus Aurelius''), Polirom, 2011 * ''Cămașa în carouri și alte 10 întâmplări din București'' (''The Plaid Shirt'' ''and 10 Other Tales from Bucharest''), a narrative puzzle,
Polirom Polirom or Editura Polirom ("Polirom" Publishing House) is a Romanian publishing house with a tradition of publishing classics of international literature and also various titles in the fields of social sciences, such as psychology, sociology, and ...
, 2010 * ''Fantoma din moară''(''The Ghost in the Mill/Das Phantom in der Muhle''), Polirom, 2008. * ''Zogru'', Polirom,
Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the Cities in Romania, third largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical ...
, 2006, 2nd ed, 2013 * ''Omulețul roșu'' (''The Little Red Man''), Editura Vremea, Bucharest, 2004


Translated work

*
''The Book of Perilous Dishes''
Neem Tree Press, London, 2022 * La gata del viernes (translation Enrique Nogueras, Esdrújula Ediciones,
Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...
, 2019 *''Das Phantom in der Mühle'' (translation Eva Ruth Wemme), Klak Verlag, Berlin, 2017 *''Lizoanca'' (trad. Szenkovics Enikő), Orpheusz,
Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
, 2015 * ''Eliza a los once años'' (translation Enrique Nogueras), Ediciones Traspiés, Granada, 2014 * ''Zogru'' (translation Szenkovics Enikő), Sétatér Kulturális Egyesüle, 2014 * ''Lisoanca'', Rediviva Ed., Milano, 2013 * ''L'omino rosso'', Nikita Editore,
Firenze Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
, 2012 * '' Bill Cinton's Hand'', in Bucharest Tales, New Europe Writers, 2011 (coord: A. Fincham, J. G Coon, John a'Beckett) * ''I miei ginecologi'', in Compagne di viaggio, Sandro Teti Editore, 2011 (coord Radu Pavel Gheo, Dan Lungu) * ''Zogru'' (transl. Roberto Merlo), Ed. Bonanno, Roma, 2010 * ''L'omino rosso'' (transl. Roberto Merlo) in Il romanzo romeno contemporaneo (coord Nicoleta Nesu) Ed. Bagatto Libri,
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, 2010 * ''Cristian'' – Nagyvilag (transl. Noémi László), Budapesta, Sept. 2010 * ''The Winner'' – Nagyvilag (transl. Noémi László), Budapesta, Sept. 2010 etc. * ''Cristian'' (trans. in fr. Linda Maria Baros), rev Le Bateau Fantôme, no. 8, 2009, Ed. Mathieu Hilfiger * ''Zogru'' (transl. Vasilka Alexova), Ed. Balkani, 2008 * ''Dicționar de simboluri din opera lui
Mircea Eliade Mircea Eliade (; – April 22, 1986) was a Romanian History of religion, historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. One of the most influential scholars of religion of the 20th century and in ...
'' (frag.) în La Jornada Semanal, nr. 455, 456,
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
City, 2003 (trans: José Antonio Hernández García) * ''Lizoanca'' (trans Jan Cornelius), Horlemann Verlag, Berlin


Literary prizes

* The
Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its bylaws, the academy's ma ...
's Ion Creangă Prize for the novel "Lizoanca at the Age of Eleven", 2009 * The Prize of the Writers Union of Romania for the novel "The Ghost in the Mill", 2008 * The Golden Medal of Schitul Darvari, for literary activity, 2008 * The Prize of the Bucharest Writers Association for the novel "Zogru", 2007


Interviews

* Featured guest on ''ALTCEVA cu Adrian Artene'' – Romania's most-watched cultural podcast (2025): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5aLRCOKtcE * Mimicking culture, interest, literature and even love. Ileana Marin interviewing Doina Ruști: https://www.doinarusti.ro/stire/2025/interviu-ileana-marin/en/index.html * Magical Food, Latin Deities, & Balkan Tradition: An Interview with Doina Ruști by Alyse Mgrdichian: https://www.doinarusti.ro/stire/2022/interview-in-shelfmedia/en/index.html


Bibliography

* Adina Mocanu – ''La infancia en femenino las niñas'', Icaria Editorial, Barcelona, 2016, p. 2017. * Ramón Acín – ''Turia'', 115, Instituto de Estudio Turolenses, 2015, p. 323 * Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock, The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary Cinematic Monsters,
Routledge Routledge ( ) is a British multinational corporation, multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, academic journals, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanit ...
, New York, 2015 * Emanuela Illie – ''Fantastic și alteritate'', Junimea, 2013, p. 92 și urm. * Roberto Merlo – ''Quaderni di studi italieni e romeni'', 5, 2010, Edizioni dell'Orso, p. 121 * Daniel Cristea Enache – ''Timpuri noi'', Ed. Cartea Românească, 2009, pp 172; 174 * Dan C. Mihăilescu - ''Femeie cu omuleț'', în vol.I Literatura română în postceaușism, II. Prezentul ca dezumanizare, Ed. Polirom, 2006, p. 248 * Dan C. Mihăilescu - ''Literatura româneasca în postceausism''. II. Proza. Prezentul ca dezumanizare, cap. Realismul apocaliptic și deriziunea, Ed. Polirom, 2006, p. 251 * Geo Vasile - ''Elixirul narațiunii'', in ''Romanul sau viața. Prozatori europeni'', Ed. Muzeul Literaturii Române, 2007, p. 343 și urm. * Gelu Ionescu - ''Târziu de departe'', Ed.
Cartea Românească Cartea Românească ("The Romanian Book") is a publishing house in Bucharest, Romania, founded in 1919. Disestablished by the communist regime in 1948, it was restored under later communism, in 1970, when it functioned as the official imprint of t ...
, 2012, pp. 112 si urm * Tania Radu - ''Jocuri riscante'', in ''Chenzine literare'', Humanitas, 2014 * Andrei Simuț - ''Romanul românesc postcomunist între trauma totalitară și criza prezentului. Tipologii, periodizări, contextualizări'', chapter III.3. ''Panoramări ficționalizante ale trecutului comunist: Un singur cer deasupra lor, Fantoma din moară, Pupa russa'', Editura Muzeul Literaturii Române, 2015 * Călin Teutișan - cap ''Fantasticul levantin'', în ''Enciclopedia imaginariilor din România. Vol. I: Imaginar literar'', coord. Corin Braga, Polirom, 2020. * Raluca Andreescu, in ''Studies in Gothic Fiction'', Zittaw Press, 2011 * Abina Puskás-Bajkó -''Maiorca or on the gypsy magic realism of seduction in Doina Ruști's Manuscrisul fanariot, în Journal of Romanian Literary Studies'', no. 6/2021, p. 546. * Adriana Raducanu
''Confessions from the Dead: Reading Ismail Kadare's Spiritus as a ‘Post-Communist Gothic’ Novel'', în ''Postcolonial Europe? Essays on Post-Communist Literatures and Cultures''
Editors: Dobrota Pucherova and Robert Gafrik,
Brill Brill may refer to: Places * Brielle (sometimes "Den Briel"), a town in the western Netherlands * Brill, Buckinghamshire, a village in England * Brill, Cornwall, a small village to the west of Constantine, Cornwall, UK * Brill, Wisconsin, an un ...
, 2015 * Christene d’Anca - Mediating a loss of history in Doina Rusti's The Ghost in the Mill by Journal of
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
an Studies, vol. 48, 3-4: pp. 265–277. , First Published October 22, 2018. * Dana Sala - ''Alessandro Baricco's Seta (Silk) and Doina Ruști's Manuscrisul fanariot (The Phanariot Manuscript)'', in ''Weaving a Narrative from Metamorphoses'', 2015 ALLRO, Volume 22, Article code 487-121 * Alina Bako - Images of Alterity in the Contemporary Feminine Prose, Speculum, 2017 * Bianca Burța Cernat, Ficțiune și magie în Bucureștiul fanariot, ''
Observator Cultural ''Observator Cultural'' (meaning "The Cultural Observer" in English) is a weekly literary magazine based in Bucharest, Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast ...
'', nr. 863, 2017


References


External links

* Official sit
Doina RuştiYouTube Doina Ruști channelAmazonLITERA

Radio Romania International – Romanian Writer Doina Rusti
* Doina Ruști pe Internet Movie Database


Observator Cultural: Ficțiune și magie în decorul Bucureștiului fanariot

Doina Ruști - Prozatoare


Evenments


Frankfurter Bukmesse

Das Phantom
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rusti, Doina 1957 births Living people Romanian women novelists Romanian women short story writers Romanian short story writers People from Dolj County 21st-century Romanian novelists 21st-century Romanian women writers Slavery in the Ottoman Empire Romanian novelists