ON THE NOVEL AFTER THE NOVEL: THE WRITER’S INTERVIEW IN THE CONTEMPORARY LITERARY PROCESS

VOL. 63, BOOK 1, PART C, 2025, pp. 42 – 51 Full text (Bg)

Author:  Reneta Bozhankova

Affiliation: St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia

Abstract

The article examines writer interviews as an important paraliterary genre that significantly shapes the contemporary literary process. The analysis demonstrates that interviews function as a space for authorial self-reflection, where writers creatively rework external aesthetic influences through mechanisms of influence, distancing, and mutual enrichment. The comparison between Evgeny Vodolazkin and Marina Stepnova reveals contrasting models of public presence, ranging from the intellectually distanced to the emotionally accessible. In the context of digital media, interviews help construct the author’s public persona, guide the interpretation of their work, and influence both reader reception and critical discourse.

Key words: author–reader communication, literary reception, writer interviews, digital media