I am planning my trip to research Yorkshire for my novel Domaine and I have enrolled in summer school at Oxford in creative writing ✍️
I am incredibly excited and grateful.
I am planning to visit Sherwood forest.
This was me exactly four years ago today at Seven Sisters, which inspired me to write a scene in Domaine that happens on those magnificent cliffs.
Edit: I just bought a ticket to see Byron’s house!!
Ataraxia by Jola Cora is out!
May 1st is International Workers’ Day so it’s the perfect month to read a fairy tale about a Princess who wanted to include exploited non human animals into the working class.
Ataraxia https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WNF3QWD/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_W9WCZ9ERMACRT2ZB7R4E?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
If you snatch it now you’ll get a collector’s item because I am changing the cover from matte to glossy.
#ataraxia #fantasy #fairytale #fairycore #opaline #illustration by @sylwiaewapaszko #coraltown #coral #book #hardcover #cloak #wand #magical #magiccore #star #workingclass Aaraxia
I have started work on my adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
Frankenstein is a piece that has a special place in my heart; like me, it was born in Geneva, on the same side of the lake, and was inspired by a night spent with one of my favourite poets, Byron.
I shall collect here all the material that I am working on and shall edit this post with new pictures.
First:
Last weekend, April 1, I came up with the arc of the story and the opening choreography.
I am first writing it as a stage play. I may later adapt it into a feature film but my plan now is to produce the play later this year, probably in autumn 🍂.
Watching a piece on Frankenstein in my beloved Arte show Invitation au voyage (April 9):
“La fusion entre le monstrueux et le sublime.”
Ataraxia by Jola Cora
Cover reveal
A fairy tale
Princess Opaline must marry Prince Botikin. But the Witch informs Opaline that the Prince was changed into the Pig who will be served at their wedding. There is only one way to save him: find the magical wand called Ataraxia.
My short film Night Beauty just won this laurel:
This is the first film prize I ever received. If you don’t count the Short Film Corner in Cannes 2016 for Live Laugh Love, which also had a laurel, so I guess it counts as a prize?
I have previously won an award for theatre but never yet for film!
Thank you to the Arthouse Festival of Beverly Hills!
We ended up winning!
And we just won another laurel! (April 15)
And another! (April 16)
It is day 5 of the war in Ukraine and I can finally gather myself enough to write something.
As a Pole, a war in Eastern Europe affects me on a particularly deep emotional level. My Polish elders always said it was only a question of time until Russia attacks its western neighbours again. The history of Poland is linked to Ukraine on many levels, some of which were tragic, but one thing we have in common is a justified fear and resentment of the imperialist country that is Russia, including the time when it was called Soviet Union.
There isn’t enough importance put on how criminal Russia has been. Most people haven’t the slightest idea how far its crimes extend. There has never been a Nuremberg trial for the Soviet Union for the good reason that Russia after 1991 hadn’t changed much. To this day, Russia still hasn’t released all the files regarding the Katyń massacre.
Putin, a KGB trained President, showed his true colours very quickly, notably with the second Chechen war in 2000. The atrocities committed then should have already sent him to jail where he should still have been now. 2000 was the year I learned of the extent of his criminal potential and throughout the following years, I wrote two plays (La Tuerie du train Davos-Moscou, La Fleur du Maquis), one novel (Axmalama et moi) and numerous articles with him and/or the Chechen war as a subject. Unfortunately, Chechnya disappeared into the collective oblivion and he was never trialed for his crimes.
He first attacked Ukraine in 2014 and 5 days ago launched full force on the capital causing a massive exodus of refugees.
I felt so helpless and terrified at first but quickly learned of the incredible response of my country which opened their borders to all Ukrainians including their animal companions as well as third country nationals (over 200,000 people have crossed the border since Thursday). I also have a couple of groups of friends from different parts of Poland who drove to the border and, like so many of their fellow Poles, greeted people at the border with clothes, shoes and warm food as well as transportation and accommodation. Donating funds to them was the least I could do and made me feel a little bit more useful.
As the war continues, it is imperative people are aware of how pervasive Russian propaganda is and of the lies they spread. I have seen American friends of mine, who I am sure were well intentioned, post lies spread by people whom a quick search can link to RT or other Russian sites. One does not become an expert in Ukrainian and Eastern European affairs in 5 days. Check your sources before you post something. Check the sources of your sources. Russian propaganda is probably the best trained in the world, remember the Soviet Union? Americans especially are prone to believe that if someone is anti us imperialism they can be trusted. But one can be anti us imperialism and at the same time accidentally post pro russian imperialism content…
Of course there are other wars at the moment, of course there are other refugees as well. But talking about Ukraine doesn’t mean the rest of the world doesn’t matter. This is a world issue. To claim that focusing on Ukraine now is wrong is to play Russia’s game. Russia will find any way it can to plant the seed of doubt in people’s minds.
Free Ukraine. Free Europe. Free World. And may we have a Russian crimes trial soon.
Me at the Harold Pinter theatre on the 18th of December when I saw Ralph Fiennes on stage.
I have been working in my head of my novel Domaine, as well as my fairy tale Ataraxia and my play Drifters and my screenplay on Frankenstein which I am considering to maybe do as a play first… Stage plays seem easier for me to produce, I am still trying to produce Siren Call as a feature film but I am a little clueless as to how to proceed…
I miss England terribly. I was always supposed to be there but life brought me to LA and its wonderful people made me stay. But I must find a way to spend more time in England. Especially Yorkshire, I want to stay in Haworth in August when the heather is violet for a week, write and walk all the Brontë walks.
What have you been doing recently? In your mind or in your future?
Here’s to 2022.
I have been working on my novel Domaine, I re-read the 64 pages I already have, I renamed two of the main characters and I am now adding a scene set at Seven Sisters.
I’m performing in Delusion’s latest immersive interactive show and am loving it. I just wish we didn’t go so late (past 1am…)
I’ve been working crazy hours on film sets and even my car played in a show. Also, background actors are actors.
Working over 16 or even 12hours should not be legal.
Guns should not exist and certainly not on film sets.
I am still adding things to my feature film version of Siren Call and looking for producers to help me turn it into a movie.
I am having a hardcover and smaller version of The House by the Swamp book.
I am working on Ataraxia.
I am working on Domaine.
Mostly in my head for now…
I need more days off to write!
Every day off is a blessing.
I planted a Wisteria tree yesterday.
Can we all pledge to be kinder to one another and closely look at our impact on the world?
Jola Cora 