Das Buch der Macht

SWR On air
Reading and conversation

Ilija Trojanow
Moderation: Katharina Borchardt

"He who can do what he wants with impunity rules." Sallust

In fifteen days and nights, the frail vizier of the Ottoman Empire explains the strategies of ruling to his nephew and successor. This is the framework for Stoyan Mikhailovsky's "Book for the Bulgarian People", written in 1897 and still untranslated today. Ilija Trojanow retells this great poem in his own language. And he has added a chorus of voices to his narrative. These include classics of world political literature from Persia and Ancient Greece, China and Japan, Machiavelli and Shakespeare as well as contemporary authors. The result is a cabinet of curiosities for thinking about the nature of power - and how we can protect ourselves from its dangers. Ilija Trojanow, born in 1965 in Sofia, Bulgaria, grew up in Germany and Nairobi and lived in Mumbai and Cape Town. When he is not traveling, he now lives in Vienna. His novels such as "Der Weltensammler", "Macht und Widerstand" and "Tausend und ein Morgen" as well as his travel reports are celebrated bestsellers. His books published by the Andere Bibliothek include "Durch Welt und Wiese. Reisen zu Fuß," together with Susann Urban.

In collaboration with SWR Kultur, broadcast date: May 9, 10:30 p.m.