The Experiment , The

Winner of the European Union Prize for Literature 2010 The Experiment can be described as 'a study of erotic love and the soul'. The two main characters undertake to write a play together, as an experiment, to see if they can succeed where others have failed, in achieving true collaboration and union through their writing. They come up with the story and the plot together; she writes the female character, he the male. She, 'a woman in perpetual search', is an unbowed woman who claims her freedom and he, 'a wise man, a believer in the Socratic, "All I know is that I know nothing"', participate in the experiment on equal terms. The erotic couple is called to recognize, through writing and literature, his/her other half, his/her mate and eventually the self as other. The result of this experiment is a stream of consciousness and a collection of tales in which themes such as love, sex, religious etacy, psychiatry and myth are intertwined. The book's style is unique, as it attempts to unify subtly connected narratives, partial tales that lean toward the structure of a more synthetic prose piece, but which cannot be regarded as either novella or novel. The book in its original Greek was awarded the prestigious European Prize for Literature in 2011. The aim of this prize is to put the spotlight on the creativity and diverse wealth of Europe's contemporary literature in the field of fiction, to promote the circulation of literature within Europe and encourage greater interest in non-national literary works. Translated into English, The Experiment offers the reader a unique and enriching reading experience which transcends literary and cultural norms.