Radu Tudoran

He was born in Blejoi, Prahova County, Romania, at 8 March 1910, his real name Nicolae Bogza, being the brother of Geo Bogza. His manifested strong nostalgia for traveling on the seas, he probably inherited from his father, Alexandru Bogza, clerk of the commercial marine.

After he finishes the Military High school from Manastirea Dealu in 1930 and, than, the Military School from Sibiu in 1932, he works for 6 years (1932-1938), as an Officer of Romanian Army.

He gives up to his military career in 1938, year in which he makes his debut with a story in the “Lumea Româ

neasca” (“Romanian World”) magazine, led by Zaharia Stancu. There is an obvious connection between his resignation from army and his first literary successes. In the same year, he changes his name from Nicolae Bogza to Radu Tudoran, to not suggest any connection to his brother Geo Bogza (famous Romanian writer).

In 1940 he publishes his first book, volume of short stories “Orasul cu fete sarace” (“The city with poor girls”). In the following year, 1941, he publishes the novel “Un port la rasarit” (“The port from the east”), novel that was noted by the critics with a big delay and, than, from politic reasons, was passed in a shadow corner of oblivion.

While his brother Geo Bogza managed to survive in the turbulent years 1945-1947, being a left side militant, Radu Tudoran more honest and less skilful, wrote articles in which he criticized, on equal sides, the right extremism, but also the politics of Soviet Union.

In the same cloudy period for Romania, 1945-1947, he continued to write and publish, he raised money, established in Braila, and he built a ship that he planned to travel the world.

Suddenly, at the end of the year 1947, when the control of soviets over Romania became totally, Radu Tudoran, was passed quickly in anonymity .

Still, he wasn’t undergone neither to persecutions and neither The Security raids or jail. Being in this cone of shadow of disgrace, he chooses translations, especially from Russian and Soviets authors, as a way of maintaining his contact with literature and as a way of living.

He comes back on the literature scene with a harmless novel for young people “Toate panzele sus!” (“All sails up!”) in 1945, which becomes instantly a big success for all age’s audiences, lighting the imagination of millions of young Romanian people for a couple of generations. The novel, written with a huge amount of narrative and descriptive talent, is strong influenced by author’s passion for adventure. He describes the journey that Radu Tudoran wasn’t able to do in 1948, although his ship, his own schooner “Speranta” (“Hope”), was built and was waiting for him to leave in the port area of Braila. His model was the navigator Joshua Slocum, whom he wanted to leave around the world.

Radu Tudoran always lived withdrawn, until the end of his life, but he published every time only best-sellers. In 1977, the total number of copies of his books – each was almost re-edited many times – exceeded 1 500 000 of edited copies. With the money from his novels, the writer built a new shipment for trips, smaller than his first ship, because this one was destined for less bold trips.

His most ambitious project was the 7 novels cycle “Sfarsit de mileniu” (“End of Milenium”), a complex fresco of the Romanian society of the 20th Century. In his last year of living, he was working on the 7th novel “Sub zero grade” (“Under zero degrees”), in which he talked about the Soviet occupation from 1944 until 1953.

He died in the morning of 18 November 1992, at Fundeni hospital, from an artery disease. His brother Geo Bogza, died a year later.