Mission London

Alek Popov is the author of the novel Mission London, which has been translated into 14 languages and made into a film, and won the Unbribable Award of Transparency International Croatia's program "Culture against Corruption" in 2011. For his literary works Popov has received numerous awards including the Elias Canetti Prize 2007, the Helikon Prize 2002, and the National Drama Award Ivan Radoev. In 2012 Alek Popov was elected a corresponding member of the Bulgarian Academy of Science in the field of Arts. He is a member of the board of the Bulgarian PEN Centre and a member of the editorial board of Granta-Bulgaria magazine.

The new Bulgarian ambassador to London is determined to satisfy the whims of his bosses at all costs. Putting himself at the mercy of a shady PR-agency, he is promised direct access to the very highest social circles. Meanwhile, on the lower levels of the embassy, things are not as they should be. With criminal gangs operating in the kitchens, police on the trail of missing ducks from Hyde Park and a sexy Princess Diana impersonator employed as the cleaner, how is an ambassador supposed to do his job?Combining the themes of corruption, confusion and outright incompetence, Popov masterly brings together the multiple plot lines in a sumptuous carnival of frenzy and futile vanity, allowing the illusions and delusions of the post-communist society to be reflected in their glorious absurdity!"A big European novel... his humour is the weapon of a merciless social critic, such as we have seen in the works of Jaroslav Hashec and Ilf and Petrov..." Miljenko Jergovi¿"This is a true European comic novel in the best tradition of P.G. Wodehouse, Roald Dahl and Tom Sharp. An excellent narrative; a great awareness for detail; a fresh sense of humour and most importantly - a sense of moderation. The situations are typically Bulgarian, yet the irony brings a taste of Englishness." 24 HoursThis book is also available as a eBook. Buy it from Amazon here.