To mark the tenth anniversary of Paul Cudenec's 2016 novel The Fakir of Florence, here is a chapter from a fictional dimension very far from the contemporary world and thus much closer to truth. You can listen to him reading it here. Early one morning while Perantulo was wandering in the hills south of Beziz … Continue reading The lesson at the tavern
by Paul Cudenec Beneath the idyllic green rolling hills of a well-off rural area lurks the stench of mafia-dumped toxic waste, polluting the air, the water supply and the food chain, killing off the wildlife and giving cancer to the people who live there. What finer metaphor could one imagine for the industrial society which … Continue reading The toxic stench of industrial corruption
by Paul Cudenec Long long ago and far far away there was a land called Yogania, whose ruler - officially at least - was King Sossidge the Dull. Sossidge made a reasonable attempt at pretending to be competent, with a semi-convincing virtue-signalling display of caring for his subjects and their land. But the truth was … Continue reading The Parable of Emperor Zigazagazoga
by Paul Cudenec An England of curfews, timed travel restrictions, limits on the number of people that can gather for a party in a private home... All of that must have seemed utterly absurd 17 years ago, which is maybe why I was unable to find anyone willing to turn my 47 Random Fragments of … Continue reading Unauthorised fragments of freedom
winter oak 