The 100 tales in Zekameron are based on the 14th century Decameron, but Znak is closer to Beckett than to Boccaccio. Banality and brutality vie with the human ability to overcome oppression. Znak’s stories in different voices chart 100 days in prison in Belarus today.
The tone is laconic, ironic; the humour dry. The stories bear witness to resistance and self-assertion and the genuine warmth and appreciation of fellow prisoners.
Maxim Znak is an international lawyer and member of the Belarusian resistance movement. He was arrested in autumn 2020 and sentenced to ten years in prison in 2021. He is a recognised prisoner of conscience. This book made its way outside the prison walls and was sent to Jim Dingley the English translator in 2022.