You use to say that „home“ is a psychological notion you bear in your heart, is this true ?
Partially. Literary speaking, Calabria is „home“ because there are my stories. But there are different levels. Romania will always be „home“, however Europe’s periphery, is also „home“, more shredded in a way and not ultimate. Is only lasts a few days, a few hours, is being nurtured from the emigrant nostalgia of hearing his native language, eating his native food. For me Italy is almost native, not only through the travelling I described in my books but also for the emotional intensity. And than comes the awakening from this nostalgia, when you realise that home is only shredded, exterior, and disappears when you stay too long in the same place. „Home“ means never to stay too long in the same home. It seems contradictory, but it is true.

Where is „home“ at this very moment ?
This is the hardest question … I don’t know … Nowhere … In a lot of things, writing the third novel, promoting the second, meeting with friends, travelling.

Do your friends give you a „home“ feeling ?
Yes. However, „home“ does not necessary mean only friends and a good feeling at some point. „Home“ can have a more sensual meaning than we think it comes from instant emotions. You get in there and feel good, you know the social codes, you hear stories, and you are accompanied by people who somehow reflect yourself. For a literate „home“ is also the language.

Do we have to contradict before the end ?
I do not write in my native language, neither do I speak it with my friends. I speak German to my friends. I do have my parents, but they are not my friends. I share a lot with them, first of all the language, the humour, political discussions, sports, anger about what’s going on in Romania and perplexities about life here. Even though I produce German language literature, I stay anchored in a Latin and Romanian way of thinking, of contacting the exterior world and of creating. I live with this contradiction since twenty years now and I try to do it in a creative way.

Thank you very much for this interview.

Alina Mondini, Zurich