Pirey

Pirey is one of the most famous novels of modern Macedonian literature. Set during the Balkan Wars, the First World War and the years soon after, the story follows the major political shifts in the Balkans at the end of the Ottoman Empire and their catastrophic impact on a Macedonian village and a married couple, Ion and Velika. The book is famous for its depiction of life around the time of the division of Macedonia, its characterizations, and its use of language and historical setting. While Ion is in the army, Velika struggles as she watches her children and her village ravaged by war. In one famous scene, Ion, conscripted into the Serbian army, and his brother, conscripted into the Bulgarian army, come face-to-face one night on the battlefield. The author, Petre M. Andreevski, was a Macedonian poet, novelist and playwright who won numerous awards for his works, many of which have been translated into other languages. Pirey is his most acclaimed novel and was a best seller in Macedonia. This is the first translation of Pirey into English. The translators, Will Firth and Mirjana Simjanovska, are both Australian professional translators. Mr Firth has over 20 books to his credit, and Ms Simjanovska is a teacher and academic Pirey is the 11th Macedonian book published by Pollitecon.