23 Things You Wanted to Know About Tadej Golob

Tadej Golob, author of a best-selling crime fiction series that’s already been adapted for TV and is currently being translated into several languages, is a rather modest person. He’s published 2 novels (his debut was awarded the prestigos Kresnik Award for best novel), 4 titles in his crime fiction series (the fifth is forthcoming in 2022), one YA novel, plus several biographies and other titles. Besides, Tadej’s conquered the world highest peak, climbed several difficult climbing routes, and almost died in an accident … Continue reading to get to know him a bit better.

The Lake and Lenin Park have recently been published in English by Dixi Books in the UK.

 

 

Darts, anyone?

 

1. Does he speak English?

English proved useful especially during his climbing expeditions in the Himalayas.

 

2. Biggest climbing achievement

Votli Vrh summit by a route on the north face of Loška Stena (located in the Triglav National Park, Slovenia, of which Lake Bohinj is also a part). Only four successful ascents have been recorded, with Tadej’s attempt to conquer the 800 m vertical climb in 2005 being the last to date.

Ironically, Loška Stena was also the location of Tadej’s nearly fatal accident in 2020, when he was preparing for an ascent via a new route.

 

3. After the accident

Tadej’s cautiously begun to climb again. Hiking is difficult. Running is impossible. Cycling, however, is no problem. In fact, Tadej is currently working on a cycling guidebook.

 

4. Current projects

Polishing the manuscript for the next novel. A cycling guidebook, featuring rides between 40 and 240 km with at least 1000 m elevation gain. Tadej has already covered one half of the country, including a ride to the location of the first murder in Virus.

 

5. Favorite cycling locations

Goriška Brda Hills, Brkini Hills, and Istria.

 

6. E-bikes

Maybe when he’s 80. Because what’s the point of cycling if you’re not exhausted at the end of the ride?

 

7. Spectator sports

Cycling, definitely. Tadej loves sports and competitions. News – not so much. Given the current political climate, listening to politicians seems like a waste of time. Even watching a darts tournament is much better in comparison.

 

 

How to Drown a Person in Wine (And Why You Might Want to)

 

8. How to choose the place for murder

Taras is employed by the police in Ljubljana, so he needs an excuse to do his work elsewhere. A vacation at Lake Bohinj, for example, where the first murder took place. In general, the most beautiful places are the best match for murder, because they offer the sharpest contrast.

For Virus, Tadej knew that the first murder would occur – quite literally – in wine. The town of Gadova Peč in the Lower Carniola region happens to also be known as the capitol of Cviček wine, a local specialty composed of both white and red grape species. By now, Tadej is well known by the locals, happy that he had a person drown in their wine.

 

9. Might Taras sometime be sent to solve a murder abroad?

It’s possible. Tadej’s already played with the idea while he was in Sarajevo, writing Lenin Park, but he would need to get to know the place really well.

 

10. On writing

Tadej keeps a rather strict writing schedule and prefers to write in the morning. November and December are his preferred months for writing. Ideally at home, writers’ residencies are merely distractions.

 

11. Why crime fiction

Tadej has always been an avid reader of crime novels. It was out of respect for those writers that he didn’t start writing crime novels sooner (The Lake is Tadej’s third novel for adults; in addition, he’d already written biographies and a YA novel). Indeed, at the time of writing The Lake, Tadej was freshly out of work and decided to give crime writing a try. He’s never regretted it.

 

12. Is writing crime fiction fun?

By the time of finishing the fifth title, Tadej’s become increasingly more confident and knowledgeable about investigation procedures, so writing has indeed become a pleasure. He still consults experts, though, so as to make his writing even more trustworthy.

 

13. On Lenin park as an antifascist book

Fascism is worse than we thought, Tadej says. Turns out that people are not forced into a fascist mindset by any particular person or regime; rather, it’s a prevalent state of mind.

 

14. Writing for young adults

Tadej is proud of his YA novel Where has Brina Disappeared to?, which helped him preserve the childhood worlds of his own two children. Though he couldn’t imagine writing that same book now, he is, nevertheless, considering writing YA fiction again.

 

15. In retrospect, would he write anything differently?

In general, no. At readings and events, Tadej has sometimes been pleasantly surprised by his own writing. For example, Where has Brina Disappeared to? was written in just one month’s time. Because he’d written it so quickly, Tadej was sure it couldn’t have been much good. But after having read it four times, he realized, much to his surprise, that nothing needed to be changed. Though he’s meticulously polishing his manuscripts, Tadej is well aware that after a certain point, constant rewriting can have an adverse effect.

 

 

Marlon Brando Might Not to Have Eaten Frog Legs, but Tadej Certainly Isn’t Going to

 

16. On writing biographies

Writing biographies is a kind of journalism. Many interviews with the same person. In general, Tadej is a good listener, who’d never, in his career as a journalist, put himself in front of others. He’s written biographies of musicians, actors, athletes, politicians, and entrepreneurs. He admires them all. Through the years, he’s learned to respect the outcomes of all kinds of human effort.

 

17. Whose biography would he like to have written?

Marlon Brando’s.

 

18. Biggest writing achievement

After the huge success of The Lake, translated books have finally been replaced by Slovene titles on top of local best-seller lists.

 

19. Favorite crime series

Midsummer Murders.

 

20. Nordic Noir?

Yes. Except when Nesbø writes about avalanches. It’s different in reality. Tadej knows from experience.

 

21. Relationship with other writers of crime fiction

Respectful distance.

 

22. Favorite drink

Coffee. Beer. Wine. Slovenia has several beautiful wine regions, perfect for discovering on a bicycle.

 

23. Favorite place for a drink in Ljubljana

Pri žabarju. Known for its good ice cream as well as frog legs, a local delicacy Tadej isn’t going to try anytime soon.