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The people of C-T live within the shadows of a great Citadel. It protects them from the blazing heat of the two suns that move across the skies overhead. To survive they must live, work, and move amongst the shadows cast by the tall walls of the Citadel. The avenues of C-T have been constructed in layers of neighbourhoods around the mysterious edifice that towers above them from the centre of their lives. Life in C-T is highly regulated, and is organized through specialized guilds. As the nameless young narrator moves amongst the members of these guilds – the Calligrapher; the Smithy; the Scholar; the Philosopher; the Money-Lender; etc – we learn indirectly about peoples’ lives, attitudes, and understanding. Yet most of all, we look through the peoples’ eyes as they try to fathom the great mystery of the Citadel. Yet at the very end of the journey we learn a surprising truth. Until then – the secret protects itself…as it has always protected itself. The Citadel is an allegory on human nature, as well as an intriguing and entertaining narrative.
Genre: FICTION / Science Fiction / GeneralI grew up in the shadow of a great wall. We all did. My family was no exception. Each dawn the two suns would rise and their morning rays illuminate the sky. Yet we were all protected by the walls of the Citadel. Each day we lived in C-T was a day lived under the shadows and gaze of this imposing edifice. For many of us, like me, it became a centrepiece of our lives. Its huge structure became etched upon my mind. It was carved into the rock of my inner skull. There was no life for any of us in C-T without the Citadel.
For some the Citadel was a remnant from times past. Now it stood as an aged lifeless stone of antiquity that refused to go away. These people have all but wiped the significance of the Citadel from their minds. Each day they go about their daily routine in C-T and never stretch their heads back to peer in wonder at the towering anomaly. Their heads are kept low, as if afraid that by even catching a glimpse of the Citadel some long buried memory will be accursedly aroused. Perhaps it is fear. Perhaps it is a longing for a different present and a different past that such people live in denial.
Everybody has their own story to tell; if they tell at all. The Citadel invades all of our lives whether we accept it or not. It is as if we were all born with the design of the Citadel lodged into our very cells. No amount of forgetfulness or denial will dislodge its persistent presence within us. We all bleed red.
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French
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Already translated.
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Italian
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Already translated.
Translated by Maddalena Repetto
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Author review: Maddalena has been a wonderful translator - her wide linguistic knowledge has been invaluable in dealing with the complexities of the text. She delivered the translation ahead of time, and was available for all communications. Her eye for detail is impressive, as well as her quality checks. I would be very happy to collaborate with Maddalena on another project. |
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Spanish
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Already translated.
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