Dan Sociu

Born in Botosani/Romania in 1978.

Sociu is a writer, editor and translator. He studied political science, philosophy and Romanian and Slavonic studies at the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iasi.

Current projects are the publication of a further poetry volume, the translation of a German anthology of poetry together with the writer Ernest Wichner, and a collaboration with the Italian photographer Charlotte Menin on xenophobia in Italy, financed by the European Commission.

Since 2006, Sociu is an editor at »Editura Cartea Roamaneasca« in Bucharest; from 2005 to 2006 he worked for »Editura Polirom« in Iasi. He worked as a freelance journalist for several Romanian newspapers from 2004 to 2005. In 1997 and 1998 Sociu taught English at a grade school in Botosani.

Selected publications: the novel »Urbancolia« (2008), »Povesti erotice românesti« (Romanian Erotica, as co-author, 2007), »fratele paduche« (Brother louse, 2007), »cântece eXcesive« (eXcessive songs, 2005), »borcane bine legate, bani pentru înca o saptamîna« (Well-sealed jars, money for another week, 2002). Several of his poems have been translated into English and German.

Sociu was honoured as »Most Prominent Young Writer« at the Younger Writers’ Colloquium in Cluj in 2007. In 2006 his work »cântece eXcesive« was awarded »Best Book of the Year« by the Romanian Writers’ Association, and the magazine »22« declared him »Most Talented Young Writer of the Moment«. In 2003 he was awarded the »Mihai Eminescu« prize, the Rumanian national prize for emerging talents.

Dan Sociu is a participant in the exchange program between Akademie Schloss Solitude and Hungarian writers in Budapest.