Iulian Bocai (b. 1986) studied Comparative Literature at the University of Bucharest, where he now teaches literary theory and creative writing. He has a PhD in intellectual history. He has published four books and dabbles both in literature and nonfiction. His first novel, Ciudata și înduioșătoarea viață a lui Priță Barsacu (The Weird and Endearing Life of Priță Barsacu) won multiple national and international awards and will come out in a Dutch translation in 2025 by Charlotte van Rooden. Before going into writing, he spent a decade translating mainly novels and children’s books from English, French and German into Romanian and has seen literature from both sides of the fence, working both as a writer and editor/translator. He likes writing better.