Questions for Felicia 

1. What brought you to Canada? Was it a conscious decision on your part? 

F.M.: I left Romania in 2000 after publishing three books that enjoyed an excellent reception. I was also working as journalist for the biggest Romanian newspaper, I was in love after a painful divorce, and I was happy. However, ten years after the fall of the communist regime I felt that we as a nation were not following the right path. An individual could not do much against a society ruled by corruption, lack of democratic practices, resentment and discrimination against women, minorities and religions. The problem, I think, with people that have lived for too long under a dictatorship is that they do not know the truth about themselves, nor about the world for that matter. Worst of it, they are not eagerly accepting any criticism whatsoever. In a way we were still living with the feeling we are the bravest, the smartest. Ceausescu did not completely die. He had taught us we were the best nation in the world and we were not willing to let it go. I felt disarmed, powerless in the face of this persistent ideology, so I decided to leave the country at least for a short period of time. Or maybe, I just wanted to try something else, to do better or just to prove that I’m really a good writer not only according to Romanian standards. 

Read the whole interview HERE

By Eniko Sepsi 

Revue d’Études Canadiennes en Europe Centrale. 

2022