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When Dreams Collide: Travels in Yugoslavia with Rebecca West
When Dreams Collide is Nicholas Allan's intimate pilgrimage across the former states of Yugoslavia. Diving far deeper than the headlines, he explores the splintered co-evolution of these lands over the last ten centuries, guided by the inimitable Rebecca West's masterpiece, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon. Written 80 years in the past, West's account serves as a fascinating reference for the optimistic interwar years of the 20th century between the Ottoman decline and the Nazi onset. The fragile balancing act of the Yugoslav experiment and the atrocities following its break-up were still to come.
Collapsing empires and proud young nations, monasteries and mosques, brotherhood, hatred, war, music, frescoes, food, costume, people, mountains, rivers and seas, the distant rumbles of the centuries take many forms.
At a turning point in his own life, Allan is drawn to explore this complex area, through the lens of his part Eastern European heritage. He records personal encounters and richly drawn characters interwoven with history and art, politics and religion (too often one and the same), all enhanced by beautiful hand-drawn maps, illustrations and selected photographs.
Collapsing empires and proud young nations, monasteries and mosques, brotherhood, hatred, war, music, frescoes, food, costume, people, mountains, rivers and seas, the distant rumbles of the centuries take many forms.
At a turning point in his own life, Allan is drawn to explore this complex area, through the lens of his part Eastern European heritage. He records personal encounters and richly drawn characters interwoven with history and art, politics and religion (too often one and the same), all enhanced by beautiful hand-drawn maps, illustrations and selected photographs.
572 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 24, 2022
3 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Allan
81 books7 followersNicholas Allan is the author/illustrator of over thirty children’s books.
When he was 12 he made a model of a galleon out of a walnut shell which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in London.
He wrote his first novel when he was 14, a story about a murder in a school. He sent it to Macmillan who, although they did not accept it, asked to see his next. Nicholas studied painting at the Slade School of Art. During this time he had his first radio play broadcasted by BBC Radio 4. He then completed an MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia.
Nicholas worked as a waiter, three weeks in a publisher’s office, and as a part-time teacher of a life class before he published his first book, The Hefty Fairy (1989). Since then he has been a full-time writer and illustrator. Many of his books are bestsellers, including The Queen's Knickers, Father Christmas Needs a Wee, Jesus’ Christmas Party, Cinderella’s Bum, Heaven, and Where Willy Went. His books have won awards and been translated into twenty languages. He is also the author of Hilltop Hospital, a book that has been adapted into a BAFTA-winning television series for CITV. The series has been shown in over forty countries.
Nicholas has been the Chairman of the Society of Authors' Children’s Group and has made many appearances on television and radio. He is also the author of The Complete Guide To Gatecrashing and one novel, The First Time.
When he was 12 he made a model of a galleon out of a walnut shell which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in London.
He wrote his first novel when he was 14, a story about a murder in a school. He sent it to Macmillan who, although they did not accept it, asked to see his next. Nicholas studied painting at the Slade School of Art. During this time he had his first radio play broadcasted by BBC Radio 4. He then completed an MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia.
Nicholas worked as a waiter, three weeks in a publisher’s office, and as a part-time teacher of a life class before he published his first book, The Hefty Fairy (1989). Since then he has been a full-time writer and illustrator. Many of his books are bestsellers, including The Queen's Knickers, Father Christmas Needs a Wee, Jesus’ Christmas Party, Cinderella’s Bum, Heaven, and Where Willy Went. His books have won awards and been translated into twenty languages. He is also the author of Hilltop Hospital, a book that has been adapted into a BAFTA-winning television series for CITV. The series has been shown in over forty countries.
Nicholas has been the Chairman of the Society of Authors' Children’s Group and has made many appearances on television and radio. He is also the author of The Complete Guide To Gatecrashing and one novel, The First Time.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 4, 2024
Ongoing project of reading more about Yugoslav and Irish history, to get a better understanding of my parents heritage.
Nicholas Allan’s When Dreams Collide is a captivating exploration of the Balkans that serves as both a homage to and a contemporary counterpoint to Rebecca West’s seminal work, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon.
I decided on reading Allan over West, as is was more recent and covered the events of the 1990s.
Allan’s journey through the fractured landscapes of the former Yugoslavia is a poignant reflection on the region’s tumultuous history and its enduring spirit.
Allan skillfully weaves together personal narrative, historical context, and vivid descriptions to create a rich tapestry of the Balkans. His keen eye for detail brings the region’s natural beauty, cultural complexities, and the scars of conflict to life. By juxtaposing West’s observations with his own experiences, Allan illuminates the profound changes that have swept across the region in the decades since.
While the book is undoubtedly a travelogue, it transcends the genre to become a thought-provoking meditation on identity, nationalism, and the enduring human spirit.
Allan’s empathetic portrayal of the people he encounters reveals the resilience and hope that persist amidst the region’s challenges.
When Dreams Collide is essential reading for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Balkans. It is a testament to the power of travel writing to inspire empathy, provoke thought, and foster connections across cultures.
Nicholas Allan’s When Dreams Collide is a captivating exploration of the Balkans that serves as both a homage to and a contemporary counterpoint to Rebecca West’s seminal work, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon.
I decided on reading Allan over West, as is was more recent and covered the events of the 1990s.
Allan’s journey through the fractured landscapes of the former Yugoslavia is a poignant reflection on the region’s tumultuous history and its enduring spirit.
Allan skillfully weaves together personal narrative, historical context, and vivid descriptions to create a rich tapestry of the Balkans. His keen eye for detail brings the region’s natural beauty, cultural complexities, and the scars of conflict to life. By juxtaposing West’s observations with his own experiences, Allan illuminates the profound changes that have swept across the region in the decades since.
While the book is undoubtedly a travelogue, it transcends the genre to become a thought-provoking meditation on identity, nationalism, and the enduring human spirit.
Allan’s empathetic portrayal of the people he encounters reveals the resilience and hope that persist amidst the region’s challenges.
When Dreams Collide is essential reading for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Balkans. It is a testament to the power of travel writing to inspire empathy, provoke thought, and foster connections across cultures.
December 28, 2022
A fascinating book. Nicholas Allan's journey draws you into the turmoil and suffering of the Balkan countries.
I am in awe of the remarkable research that must have gone into the book to give such detailed and gripping tales of events that have ravaged the area throughout history - the changing borders, the occupations, the persecutions. And the author's incisive eye gives you a clear picture of how these events and the fears they instilled in their populations are still alive today
Notwithstanding the depth of research and political observation, the book is written with a light touch.
The descriptions are captivating and almost make you feel like exploring the places visited, but most of all you are bowled along as story follows story in the book. It's as if you are travelling with a William Dalrymple or a Jan Morris, as the book's inquisitive eye leads you to places where obscure, curious characters or gems of art and architecture reveal the tragedies and aspirations of the people and the legacies they have left in society today.
This book should be required reading for anyone visiting the area.
I am in awe of the remarkable research that must have gone into the book to give such detailed and gripping tales of events that have ravaged the area throughout history - the changing borders, the occupations, the persecutions. And the author's incisive eye gives you a clear picture of how these events and the fears they instilled in their populations are still alive today
Notwithstanding the depth of research and political observation, the book is written with a light touch.
The descriptions are captivating and almost make you feel like exploring the places visited, but most of all you are bowled along as story follows story in the book. It's as if you are travelling with a William Dalrymple or a Jan Morris, as the book's inquisitive eye leads you to places where obscure, curious characters or gems of art and architecture reveal the tragedies and aspirations of the people and the legacies they have left in society today.
This book should be required reading for anyone visiting the area.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews