Ema Dumitriu

What was your favorite book as a child?

My favourite book as a child was a Romanian translation of Selma Lagerlöf’s The Wonderful Adventures of Nils Holgersson. It was a glossy, bright navy blue hardback edition which I carried with me everywhere, as if my life depended on it.

Do you remember the original reason or motivation why you started writing creatively?

I fell in love with the English language when I was in third grade, and that fired me up with enthusiasm about the possibility of becoming a writer, myself, one day.

What was the most adventurous or thrilling thing you ever did/experienced?

Moving to a foreign country in order to speak its language on a daily basis still seems to be the most adventurous thing I have ever done. At the same time, I see it as more of a necessity, and less of an adventure, but I have never stopped feeling the visceral thrill of it.

Do you listen to music while reading or writing?

No. I like to pay attention to the sound of language, instead.