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Quote by Steven Galloway

“It screamed downward, splitting air and sky without effort. A target expanded in size, brought into focus by time and velocity. There was a moment before impact that was the last instant of things as they were. Then the visible world exploded.”

Book:The Cellist of Sarajevo

Work

The Cellist of Sarajevo

This narrative follows the story of a cellist who performs daily in the ruins of Sarajevo, Bosnia, during the war. The novel explores themes of courage, love, and the enduring power of art amidst the chaos of conflict. more

Author

Steven Galloway

Steven Galloway is a Canadian novelist born on July 13, 1975. He is best known for his internationally acclaimed novel "The Cellist of Sarajevo" (2008), which has been translated into over twenty languages. His other works include "The Daughter of the Sea," "The Sailor," and "The Ruins." Galloway previously served as director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of British Columbia and has taught at several universities. He currently lives in Vancouver, focusing on literary writing. more

“They came here on Sunday, 30th June, 1940, after bombing us two days before. They said they hadn't meant to bomb us; they mistook our tomato lorries on the pier for army trucks. How they came to think that strains the mind. They bombed us, killing some thirty men, women, and children - one among them was my cousin's boy. He had sheltered underneath his lorry when he first saw the planes dropping bombs, and it exploded and caught fire. They killed men in their lifeboats at sea. They strafed the Red Cross ambulances carrying our wounded. When no one shot back at them, they saw the British had left us undefended. They just flew in peaceably two days later and occupied us for five years.”

War Occupation Bombing Ww2

Book:The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Source: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“Our grief is not a cry for war. "That's how New Yorkers feel," the driver said. "They know what bombing looks like, and they know the hell it is. But outside New York, people will feel guilty because they weren't here. They'll be yelling for revenge out of guilt and ignorance. Sure, we all want to catch the criminals, but only people who weren't in New York will want to bomb another country and repeat what happened here.”

War Ignorance Guilt Revenge New York City September 11 Bombing New Yorker

Book:My Life on the Road

Source: My Life on the Road

“And a ton came down on a coloured road, And a ton came down on a gaol, And a ton came down on a freckled girl, And a ton on the black canal, And a ton came down on a hospital, And a ton on a manuscript, And a ton shot up through the dome of a church, And a ton roared down to the crypt. And a ton danced over the Thames and filled A thousand panes with stars, And the splinters leapt on the Surrey shore To the tune of a thousand scars.”

War London Wwii Bombing Bomb Blitz

Book:The Rhyme of the Flying Bomb

Source: The Rhyme of the Flying Bomb