Jana Bakunina, LISP 22 Short Story LISP Finalist by 'The Repair Job'

LISP 22 Short Story LISP Finalist, 'The Repair Job' by Jana Bakunina

- Can you please tell us about your writing and what inspires you to write?

I was inspired to write short stories by George Saunders who had written A Swim in the Pond in the Rain where he analyses classic Russian short stories. He celebrates the intricate depth and beautiful simplicity of short stories. I was born in Russia and grew up on Tolstoy, Chekhov, Gogol and Turgenev. I am proud of that heritage. I turned to writing. I write about Russia and about London, where I have lived for over 20 years. I was always on a mission to help westerners understand Russia: in 2017, I published a memoir ‘Bird’s Milk” about growing up in the Soviet Union and moving to the West. But in 2022 I stopped understanding Russia myself. Still, writing helps. I am currently working on a collection of short stories.

- What's the best thing and the most challenging thing about writing? The best thing about writing a story is that it brings a piece of your soul alive. Stories which bubble up are not random – they have been simmering there for a while. They come out in writing and take shape which could be surprising to the author. You have to respect that. The hardest thing is to polish that diamond. I’m still working on that.