Dear Readers’ Magnet Editors, Dear Readers and Fellow Authors, thank you so much for having me in Author’s Lounge! My name is Aleksandra Tryniecka and I am an assistant professor at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University. I specialize in the British literature and adore studying literature, reading and writing. I would like to invite you to reach for my debut novel Bunky and the Walms (2021) – the story dedicated to the Readers of all ages, both children and adults or, in other words, the story dedicated to any Reader who feels young and childlike at heart! The 189-page novel published by Wipf and Stock/Resource Publications narrates the adventures of a little Bunky Hippo who, just before Christmas, suddenly faces the greatest challenge of his life which gradually turns into the most beautiful adventure! I also illustrated the novel from my heart.
As the plot of Bunky and the Walms reveals, sometimes these are the greatest challenges which, paradoxically, enhance our lives in the the most beautiful and profound ways! It is the story about the power of friendship, nobility, courage and dreams; the story about the tremendous power of imagination, the unbending strength of perseverance and, finally, about the inner conviction that everyone can become the hero of everyday life!
Bunky and the Walms is a story within a story: there are two layers and two realities embedded in the text – the world of literature and Bunky’s world – and these two are constantly intertwining! In my novel, Bunky is not only awaiting Christmas and his longed-for gift, but also he is writing his own novel entitled Happy Ever After dedicated to the vision of himself as the brave hero who enters the fairyland of Bunkyland and encounters there the beautiful and noble Bunky Princess who lives in her very bunky (meaning: wonderful!) castle. In Bunky and the Walms, the passages from Bunky’s novel are presented in italics.
While impatiently waiting for Christmas in the Walmland village located in the very north of the world in the place which only the Readers who have strong faith in Bunky can discover, our bunkyful protagonist is also constructing himself on the pages of his own tale as the hero who is not only capable of performing courageous deeds, but also the hero capable of becoming a responsible and noble figure in his daily life. It is Bunky’s inner struggle which is especially highlighted in Bunky and the Walms – the struggle which, as I believe, makes Bunky a very relatable character with whom every Reader can easily identify. On the one hand, the Readers encounter Bunky as a slightly imperfect individual who might be grumpy and complaining at times while, on the other hand, while reading, they are also able to easily recognize Bunky’s beautiful heart and his noble, courageous spirit. It is the inner struggle between virtues and vices inherent in every person which makes Bunky such a relatable figure as if he was the Readers’ close friend. After all, becoming the hero of everyday life appears to be the task of profound complexity! It requires the ability to embrace one’s imperfections, set goals, be persistent and follow one’s heart regardless of the challenges which life places on one’s way.
In this respect, I hoped to reassure the youngest Readers that, in order to become the heroes of their daily lives, they do not have to be perfect like superheroes with supernatural powers, but it is enough for them to stay true to themselves and strive towards nobility, kindness and goodness – just like Bunky does. I also hoped to emphasize the power of writing and the written word itself, as both possess a wondrous power to shape our reality even in a physical way. I believe that the older Readers might find these messages appealing and relatable too. As Bunky’s example shows, by creating the desired visions of ourselves through literary texts, we can invite these visions into our “real” world, hence becoming wiser, braver and nobler. The only question which remains to be answered is whether it is possible to connect the literary, imaginary world created by Bunky with his reality of Walmland and, thus, whether Bunky will be able to encounter the Bunky Princess – the literary character created on the pages of his own novel. The Readers will be able to find the answer to this question in Bunky and the Walms, and I hope that the ending will surprise them! 🙂
As the author, I feel very connected with Bunky and the literary land of Walmland. The novel was inspired by the events from May 2019 when I visited London and the British Museum. In one of the shops located nearby I discovered a stuffed plush toy – a Blue Hippo who had a peculiar facial expression: partly grumpy and partly blissful, as if he was saying “didn’t I tell you so?”. I thought that behind this enigmatic facial expression there might be hiding magnificent adventures! I have always been in love with writing and wrote my first “novel” at the age of 4. I have been inventing stories about characters and fantasy worlds throughout my life so, naturally, I started thinking about the Blue Hippo and his potential adventures and this is how Bunky was born! At present, I regard Bunky as my literary child and I hope that he can become the Readers’ special friend too!
I believe that it is relevant to treat one’s story seriously. For me, it is to the point of surrounding myself with the story. Hence, on the 31st of August 2021’, Bunky was born again – as the plush mascot! Soon, the Bunky Princess followed him! I took a thread and a needle and they entered my reality – the world of writing intertwined with the “reality” once again! Currently, I have a Youtube channel where Bunky and the Bunky Princess both appear during their summer adventures, while I am working on the second part of Bunky’s literary journey. Even though Bunky and the Walms is the winter/Christmas story, it carries a universal message for every single day – the message that through the power of hope, perseverance, and imagination one is capable of reaching for any dream, becoming the hero of daily life and turning this life into the most valuable, beautiful and memorable adventure of all!
If you would like to reach for my novel, it is available on Wipf and Stock Publishers website, as well as in the internet bookstores, in Walmart, Target and on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bunky-Walms-Christmas-Aleksandra-Tryniecka-ebook/dp/B09KTB4X5T
My literary world and my Very Bunkyful Blog can be found here: https://www.aleksandratryniecka.com/
My Youtube channel is:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDXu5PYPERav3baE8R7Ldzw
Dear Readers, thank you so much!
Aleksandra Tryniecka, Bunky, and the Bunky Princess
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