Olga Tokarczuk

DRIVE YOUR PLOW OVER THE BONES OF THE DEAD

Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk’s masterpiece has been described as a book that, once read, stays with you forever. The novel has captivated readers with its philosophical detective story and the scope of its timeless themes. At its center is Janina, a tenacious woman whose unique worldview leads us into exploring the most beautiful mysteries of nature and astrology. She is a romantic with the sharp drive of Miss Marple.

In a remote Polish village, where teacher Janina feels like an outsider, hunters suddenly start dying one after another in the strangest ways. All the evidence points to an astonishing conclusion: could the animals in the area have conspired to take revenge for their slain kin? No one listens to Janina, who believes that the deaths are nature's revenge. The intrigue is brewing: what is humanity’s role in the world if nature has intentions of its own?

Writer Tokarczuk is a star of contemporary literature. Poland's right-wing factions have even labeled her a traitor, and her publishers have had to hire bodyguards for the writer. Unafraid to state truths that people often prefer to avoid, she has succeeded in engaging society in discussions on topics that many find radical or unacceptable. Her novel “Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead” has garnered numerous accolades both in Poland and internationally – among other awards, Tokarczuk has also received the prestigious International Booker Prize.

The novel is being adapted and brought to the Dailes Theatre stage by Ola Mafaalani, a Netherlands-based director of Syrian descent. Together with a talented group of Latvian artists, whom she calls her “dream team” – designer Germans Ermičs (making his debut in set design), world-renowned composer Krists Auznieks, acclaimed choreographer Elīna Gediņa and the brilliant costume design duo MAREUNROL’S – Mafaalani will bring to life visually stunning poetry, previously unseen in Latvian theatres. It will be threaded with humor, mind-expanding and soul-opening ideas, the smells of food and the textures of practical stage magic.

Mafaalani has created theatrical adaptations of several popular films and series, including the nine-hour stage version of the Danish series “Borgen”, which became a groundbreaking event in European theatre. She is regarded as the queen of fantasy – her productions weave together unpredictable scenes with characters emerging seemingly out of nowhere.

Olga Tokarczuk's novel “Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead” has been translated into Latvian by Ingmāra Balode. The play features a fragment from William Blake’s poem “The Mental Traveller” in Vizma Belševica’s translation.