Literary mystification is writers’ ancient trick. Changing own gender, nationality or age and putting oneself in other person’s shoes helps writers change the angle, sharpen words and often say something they wouldn’t be able to express in their own name.
“Elene Dariani’s Diaries” by Paolo Iashvili is considered to be the loudest and most arguable mystification in Georgian literature. But other than that, number of original and successful mystifications have occurred in independent Georgia in the end of the 20th and in the beginning of 21st century.
Getting the whole picture of mystificators is extremely hard, almost impossible. Someone always writes behind another name and nobody know it; or the public is unaware but there are doubts in small literary circles; or the fact is known only to couple of friends and the editor. So are latest Georgian mystifications.
With time suspicions arose and in the end the mystification came to light, or the author himself took off the enigmatic mask. During Tbilisi International Literature Festival 2019 several mystificator authors will present their stories in front of authors. Some of the stories are already known to public, but some authors will admit their literary “crime” on the festival stage and will openly speak about it: presenting the print facts, read texts of own alter-ego, explain what gave them the push for taking the step.
The end of four festival days the stage of the Writers’ House will host this enigmatic Georgian program, appealing for ordinary reader, as well as for Georgian literary scholars.