INTERVIEW WITH NINA YAGOLNITSER

OCA Magazine: Tell us, please, about yourself and your creative activity / work.
Nina Yagolnitser: I was born in Ukraine, grew up in Moldova, and have lived most of my life in Israel, where I am raising two sons. I am a film director by my first education, worked for two airlines for many years, and am a dental assistant by my current occupation. As you can see, my life is almost a patchwork quilt.

I started writing when I was a child – I’m afraid my mother still keeps my opuses from elementary school, although just remembering my childhood “masterpieces” almost makes me cry from embarrassment.
I returned to this hobby as an adult, during a very difficult period. Writing became a kind of salvation from everyday adversity for me, almost therapy, and imperceptibly turned into a necessary component of my life.

Today I am the author of two novels, several short stories, and many short stories. My books have been published by AST (Russia) and Hertfordshire Press (UK), I have contributed to many anthologies and became a laureate of a number of international competitions, including “Open Eurasia”. I primarily work in the genre of historical detective fiction, with my focus being the sixteenth century.

OCA: How did you choose your path and who is your role model in the creative space or life?
NY: I am a storyteller by nature. I have been telling stories since I could speak. At twenty-nine, on the verge of divorce, I asked myself what I would do if I didn’t have to earn a living. And ever since then, I have known for sure that I am a storyteller by vocation.

Initially I was very inspired by the Russian writer Boris Akunin – his ability to intertwine eras and give his own interpretations of famous mysteries of history fascinated me.

And my best teachers have always been my readers. It was their feedback that forced me critically assess my work, look for mistakes and constantly learn the art of prose.

OCA: What is your main achievement in 2023-2024?
NY: First and foremost, participating in the Eurasian Guild Festival in September 2023. It was the first literary event of such scale in my life, with so many amazing people and an overwhelming flood of impressions.
Secondly, the publication of my first novel, The Demon in the Silver Trap, by the major Russian publishing house AST. I worked towards this dream for five years.

OCA: What is the main feature that makes you and your art/work unique?
NY: I am always confused by this question. You can consider your work unique without false modesty but talking about it out loud smacks of banal vanity. I’ll share what my readers most often say. A certain uniqueness of my work lies in the deep immersion of the reader in the created world. I pay attention to details, everyday nuances and sensations. If my character is working in the kitchen of a medieval Italian inn, I can assure you that the reader is already sitting right there by the hearth, gutting fish and smelling the pies in the coals.

So, what is the value? I offer to my readers to step into the shoes of each character. To see by themselves how one soul is overrun with thistles, another blossoms with buttercups, while a third barely has even mold growing inside.

Literature allows us to vividly realize that just few are born monsters. Almost every demon is nurtured by someone’s cruelty, indifference, or betrayal. It’s time for us to be more considerate of one another, and then there will be fewer beasts in the world.

OCA: Tell us, please, about the events or projects of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) and projects that you have already taken part in and how does ECG influence your creativity and success in your work?
NY: I have been a member of the Eurasian Creative Guild since 2019 and have participated annually in the “Open Eurasia” competition since then. I took part personally in the festivals of 2021 and 2023, not counting the video presentations, as well as in the “Guild in Faces” project. This has been an absolutely invaluable experience—both the travels to London and Kazakhstan and the incredible number of new friends, connections, and opportunities. This is how writing evolves from a hobby into a profession.

OCA: What is your motivation and the main aim of your creativity?
NY: Sorry, this may sound pathetic. But something is dying in people. We have become so self-aware and practical, so focused on our personal boundaries and comfort zones, that we are losing basic skills. We are no longer good at friendship, and we even fear love. We are becoming increasingly isolated and desperately lonely. This is my main goal: to prevent the most essential and simple aspect of human nature, the art of selfless love, from dying.

OCA: What would you wish for the members of the Guild and other creative people, just starting their career?
NY: Do only what you love and believe in. At least at first. Art is old-fashioned: if there’s a wedding, it should be for love and for all life long. Be honest with yourself, curious, and a bit crazy. And don’t be shy: we’re all like that here.