Lazlo Strangolov

As a child

I was born in a remote but mountainous region of Romania. My father worked as a translator for the Embassy. He was often posted abroad, which meant my upbringing was somewhat unstable. As a child, in the Eighties, I spent some time living in London. It was a happy time, which was rare for me. Apart from the name-calling on account of my accent (which sounds very much like Dracula) I made a good friend in Matt Whyman. He has gone on to make a name for himself as an author in his own right, and was responsible for getting my first novel into print. I did not stay in the UK for long. My father was deeply concerned about the threat of a nuclear war (in those days Russia and the USA were less than friends). One night, he decided to pack the family back to our homeland in the belief that it would be safer. My father home-schooled me through my teenage years. He was a passionate believer in End Time Theories (the study of when the world will end). This influenced my outlook on life a little bit.

As an adult

On December 31st 1999, on the cusp of the new millennium, I lowered myself into a secure, bomb proof bunker, and sealed the hatch. My own research led me to believe that the world would end on the stroke of midnight. As the seconds ticked away, I placed my fingers in my ears and closed my eyes. Some minutes later, I suspected I had made an error in my calculations. I have since revised my research. Having discovered that one of my astral charts was pinned to the wall upside down, it was easy to work out when Armageddon would really strike. As the date will arrive this year, I have chosen to remain in my bunker. My provisions are provided by a kind old soul from a nearby village. I have a generator for power and spend much of my time writing novels and surfing YouTube. My first book, Feather & Bone, contains a code that reveals the date on which life as we know it shall be changed forever. It also features deeply anxious chickens.

As an artist

I like to work without disturbance – whether it be from emails or unusual electrical activity in the earth’s atmosphere.

Things you didn't know about Lazlo Strangolov

1. He only drinks nettle tea.
2. He has spent way too much time on YouTube, searching for conspiracy theories.
3. His favourite film is Chicken Run
4. He is not ashamed to admit that he enjoys the music of David Hasselhoff
5. He has seen the future (so he says)
6. Squirrels give him the creeps
7. Pigeons terrify him
8. He writes exactly 1003 words a day, for reasons he will not share
9. His hair is long and white (from fright)
10. After a decade underground, he wishes he had installed a sun bed in his bunker

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