Kotryna Zylė. Siela sumuštinių dėžutėje (A Soul in the Sandwich Box), Vilnius: Aukso žuvys, 2021. – 164 p. 

This is Kotryna Zylė’s fifth book. Once again, the author challenges the stereotypes related to mythology – for her, it’s not some boring relic but a voice of the past echoing in the present, filled with goosebumps and mystery. Ten stories, eerie though not too frightening, and accompanied by intriguing illustrations, won’t let you put the book down before discovering the answers to all the questions. Why is a mysterious girl always the last to come to the swimming pool, and why does she always hide her legs? How does the phone of a deceased brother receive texts, even though it’s not working and can’t be working? Finally, how has a soul ended up in a sandwich box? And whose is it? An additional layer of the book’s charm is provided by authentic comments from Kotryna’s father, which explain every story and give additional details.

Kotryna Zylė (real name Kotryna Zilinskienė, b. 1986) is an author of books for children and young adults, illustrator and graphic designer. She has written seven books in this category, five of which she has illustrated herself. Her interest in mythology sets her apart from other authors. Kotryna has won a number of awards, including the Aloyzas Petrikas Literary Prize (2019) and the Martynas Vainilaitis Prize (2022). Since 2017, she has been one of the founders and organisers of the children’s and young adult literature festival Vaikų knygų sala (Children’s Book Island) and the children’s literature industry days Kūrėjų sala (Creators’ Island). Along with the creators of the literary education programme Vaikų žemė (Land of the children), she has also founded the project Knygiukai į pagalbą skaitymui (Tiny books to the Rescue).

Awards

2021: Best YA Book of the Year Prize (Lithuania)

Selected translations

Italian: Storie quasi di paura. Translated by Adriano Cerri. Roma: Emons Edizioni, 2023

Latvian: Dvēsele sviestmaižu kārbiņā. Translated by Dace Meiere. Riga: Janis Roze Publishers, 2023

Contact for rights: sigita@auksozuvys.lt