Contemporary Literature Press, under The University of Bucharest, in conjunction with The British Council, The Romanian Cultural Institute, and The Embassy of the Republic of Ireland, announces the publication of „Ariadne’s Veil”, a poetry collection written in English by Ioana Ieronim: „Less than three months ago, we published a book of fiction written in the Romanian language by Doris Plantus, who teaches at an American university. We are now publishing a book of poetry written in the English language, this time, by the Romanian poet Ioana Ieronim. Although the former was born in America, and the latter in Romania, both writers have similar interests: they are also translators from and into Romanian, having translated for the screen and the stage at some point, and both of them are culturally very active promoting Romanian literature. What is more, Ioana Ieronim was the Romanian cultural attaché in Washington for four years in the 1990’s”.

Ioana Ieronim is now a „freelancer”. She translates poetry into Romanian, she writes poetry in both Romanian and English, she even writes theatre plays. It must be added that she has also translated some of Shakespeare’s plays into Romanian.

This book of 41 poems, all written in English, has something about it that strikes the reader: it is crystal clear.

Ariadne’s Veil has two heroes: Ariadne and Theseus. According to the ancient myth, Ariadne helped Theseus come out alive from the labyrinth. She spun a thread for him to follow. That thread is the poem itself. As for the meaning of the thread, the veil, and the labyrinth — possibly connected to the Romanian city of Râşnov, more than 800 years old, where Ioana Ieronim spent her childhood years —, the reader will find all those things out while reading her poems. They may seem clear, but that is only a first impression. The challenge is to find Daedalus behind Ariadne and Theseus and their thread.

Lidia Vianu

Ioana Ieronim: Ariadne’s Veil , edited by  Lidia Vianu is formally launched on Tuesday 23 July 2013. But it is available for consultation and downloading on receipt of this Press Release, at the following internet address:

http://editura.mttlc.ro/ioana-ieronim-ariadnes-veil.html