Evlampia Tsireli | A Q&A with the beloved author, on the occasion of her new book, "Cassandra Cook: The Dragon's Handwriting"
11-year-old Cassandra and her grandfather, Sir Arthur Cook, sweep us away on an incredible adventure at Lake Kastoria. Guided by the Dispilio Tablet, ancient symbols, and a small newt, we travel into prehistory and myth!
Evlampia Tsireli signs a thrilling story filled with riddles and real scientific facts.
Let’s see what the beloved author had to say on the occasion of her new book's release. Are you ready to dive into the secrets of prehistoric Greece and solve the mystery of the dragon?
What inspired you to write an adventure around the Dispilio Tablet and ancient writing?
In 2016, I visited Kastoria to see the reconstruction of the prehistoric settlement at Dispilio and the replica of the tablet. I was impressed by the findings and their antiquity, as well as the Dragon’s Cave. Together with the lake and the mansions, everything began to weave together within me into a story. Initially, I wrote a short story titled "The Primordial," which stayed in the drawer and ultimately became the foundation for Cassandra’s adventure. At the same time, due to my academic interests, I am involved with ancient scripts and have created an educational program on the subject, so the discovery of this tablet is invaluable. Of course, here we are not dealing with organized writing, but perhaps with a system of symbols, an early form of written communication. Generally, I am very interested in how humans have found clever and imaginative ways throughout time to express and communicate. I believe that writing has been the greatest evolutionary step for human intelligence, and I try in every way to convey that to children as well.
Cassandra connects history, archaeology, and folklore. How did you combine science with fiction?
This was a real challenge because I am very sensitive regarding conspiracy theories and pseudoscience. I feared that fiction might cause problems with a scientific subject and confuse children. So, I found a way to tell a thrilling story for them, with some fiction, yet maintaining clear scientific information. In adult fiction, we have such examples of writing, so I said, why not in children's literature? In her thinking, Cassandra combines history, archaeology, and legends, along with the creativity and clear thinking of a child. Often, even in science, especially in archaeology, the answer is always simple if you understand the mindset of the ancient people. Often, close to that simple and ancient way of thinking—what we call "magical"—is the thinking of a child.
If you could go on one more adventure with Cassandra, where would you go?
We would definitely go toward Egypt, perhaps the southern Aegean too. I wouldn’t say no to ancient Mesopotamia either... Weaknesses cannot be hidden.
What do you hope readers will discover through the girl's adventures?
I would like to revive the interest in handwriting. It is something that concerns me a lot. This terrible, brilliant invention of man seems to be disappearing. Also, I hope they rediscover the warmth of adventure and discovery, without excluding the joy of technology. That is why I have included her best friend, Paris—a gifted child on the autism spectrum—to help her by utilizing all the latest technologies in science. I wish for children and adults to understand that we will move forward without losing anything only when we embrace the old and the new equally, combining them in a beneficial way for children, as well as for ourselves.
Are there similarities between Cassandra and you when you were her age?
Both at her age and now! Ha ha. I haven't changed much regarding what I love and what fascinates me. From a young age, I loved nature and adored all animals and insects—except for centipedes—forests, rivers, caves, mountains, and adventure, just like Cassandra. Another similarity, of course, is my claustrophobia. I had and still have many diaries/notebooks, I collected the most unlikely things, and I dreamed of becoming an archaeologist and a writer, like Cassandra. I had a great imagination, I was impressed by great discoveries, and I enjoyed observing the world. Also, I always wanted to have a grandfather like Sir Arthur Cook! Of course, my favorite hero was always Indiana Jones...