Hearing from Professor Manea himself was a true honour. Such a deeply personal insight into the book through the lens of the author and his experience. After hearing about his life, about totalitarian Romania, about his exodus, it all made The Trenchcoat much clearer. I have to say though, even after knowing more about the context, I think my thoughts about the book have simultaneously changed but also been reinforced. The titular trenchcoat was an object that I wondered if it was allegorical or not. I ultimately concluded that no, it was not, or at least, the important thing is not the trenchcoat itself. Knowing it to be a representation of the Securitate and of informants, I stand by my view that it is not important what it represents. It’s not important whether there’s an actual informant in the midst. What matters is how it changes people, rooting a deep-seated paranoia and fear that’s waiting to bubble over. All it takes is one stray trenchcoat.

Anyway, a short little post just to reflect on Manea’s talk. I have to say that hearing his own story as a writer makes me more inspired to write myself. Evidently, it’s never too late to start!