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Leo Vardiashvili

Goodreads Author

Born

Tbilisi, Georgia

Twitter

L_Vardiashvili

Genre

Fiction, Science Fiction

Influences

Cormac McCarthy, Ken Kesey

Member Since

May 2023

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Aspiring novelist and the author of HARD BY A GREAT FOREST - out in the US and UK in 30 January 2024.
Represented by Sara O'Keeffe at Aevitas Creative Management UK. ...more

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I just finished the audio version of your book and it earned an extra star, just for the fantastic narration. I am curious- does the author typically have involvement in selecting the narrators and the production of the audio book? Congrats on writing this spectacular novel- I loved it!

Leo Vardiashvili Thank you Angela, Luke Thompson did a stellar job with the novel. Especially considering the complexity it presented - multiple voices of varying ages…moreThank you Angela, Luke Thompson did a stellar job with the novel. Especially considering the complexity it presented - multiple voices of varying ages, alive and dead, etc. etc. I am very, very happy with the audiobook and it's getting a lot of compliments. Unsurprising really, considering how talented Luke is.

To answer your question, I don't know what the 'typical' scenario. But, in my case, I was presented with a shortlist of actors and in tandem with my publisher, we chose the actor we wanted to work on the audiobook.

As an aside detail, for this novel specifically, what followed was quite a bit work clarifying the pronounciation of Gerogian place names, character names and so on. Which were then passed onto Luke - again, he did an amazing job with words that are usually hard to pronounce for anyone who isn't Georgian...!(less)

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Did you discover anything new about yourself and your past while writing Hard By a Great Forest?

Leo Vardiashvili The most surprising discovery was just how much I remembered from my childhood in Georgia. Rumours, stories, jokes, people, places... Some of which ha…moreThe most surprising discovery was just how much I remembered from my childhood in Georgia. Rumours, stories, jokes, people, places... Some of which have found their way into Hard by a Great Forest 😉(less)

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Leo Vardiashvili’s books

Average rating: 3.89 · 5,953 ratings · 984 reviews · 1 distinct work • Similar authors

Hard by a Great Forest

3.89 avg rating — 5,953 ratings — published 2024 — 38 editions

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Leo’s Recent Updates

Leo Vardiashvili is now friends with guramk
Sep 16, 2025 09:27AM · like
Leo Vardiashvili answered Riana's question: Hello again Leo, I have been re-reading parts of your book. Your story certainly deserves a second read, for the wisdom spoken by various characters. Does this acute observation of life come from your experience of the world? or did you find that once you arrived back in your homeland these wise words woke, vividly prompted from the surroundings, and began speaking in you like lost friends? Thank you, that's a huge compliment. All my favourite books are ones I re-read from time to time. As for the question, I don't know what to tell you. I'm a very curious person. Curious about everything. I suppose this means I'm always collecting obser See Full Answer
Nov 06, 2024 04:45AM · 2 likes · like
Leo Vardiashvili is now following Yoana Misirkova's reviews
Jul 20, 2024 06:57AM · like
Leo Vardiashvili rated a book it was amazing Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
An absolute gem of a novel. Set in the late 1930s among a dwindling population of a tiny island off the coast of Wales. The novel is knit together like a swallow's nest - from short, beautiful and often devastating snapshots of island life and the eve ...more
Apr 25, 2024 12:39PM · 8 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Leo Vardiashvili made a comment on Matthew Kawiecki’s review of Hard by a Great Forest " Dear Matthew, thank you for the honest review and kind words - I'd love to hear your criticisms, perhaps away from here to avoid spoliers. I think cri ...more "
Mar 31, 2024 12:03PM · see review
Leo Vardiashvili made a comment on Yoana Misirkova’s review of Hard by a Great Forest " Hi Yoana, thank you for the lovely, thoughtful review. Away from the public forum here, I would love to hear your criticism abou the plot point you di ...more "
Mar 31, 2024 11:59AM · see review
Leo Vardiashvili rated a book it was amazing The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A confident, imaginative and often visceral voice that grips from the first page and does not let go until the end. You know you’re in safe hands from the first few sentences. The plot and the story speak for themselves – I had no inkling or awarenes ...more
Jan 15, 2024 03:59AM · 8 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Leo Vardiashvili (?)

“We’ve seen hardship too many times to be cowed by it. We know living is more important than surviving.”
― Leo Vardiashvili, Hard by a Great Forest

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“They say you can never go home again. But what if you can? What if you should? What if no matter what you do with your life, you’ll somehow always end up in that place you didn’t want to leave?”
― Leo Vardiashvili, Hard by a Great Forest

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“I am surprised to find tears have filled my eyes. Strange thing, memory, the way it slides the knife in. p.53”
― Leo Vardiashvili, Hard by a Great Forest

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