Leonard Oprea

Leonard Oprea (; born December 16, 1953) is a Romanian novelist, poet, and essayist. In the late 1980s, he wrote two books of fiction that were banned by the Communist regime and gained him repute among dissidents. Following the 1989 Revolution, the books were published but did not attract significant notice during the political upheaval of the time. He left Romania for the United States in 1999, after which the pair of previously banned works was once again released. In the 2000s, he wrote the fictional series Theophil Magus, and by 2020 this series included 17 separate titles.

Biography

Origins and early career

Born in Prejmer, Brașov County, Oprea attended Andrei Șaguna High School in Brașov before undertaking his studies at the Transilvania University of Brașov. He also holds a specialization in mass media from California State University, Chico, obtained in 1990. Prior to the Romanian Revolution of 1989, Oprea wrote Domenii Interzise, published in 1984, a collection of fantasy short stories and novellas. Following publication, he penned a lengthy analysis of the works of Nicolae Steinhardt in the Iași magazine Opinia studențească, which led to a ban on writing by the Communist regime, in particular its Securitate secret police. He also wrote the short prose collection Radiografia clipei ("The X-ray of an Instant") and the novel Cămașa de forță ("The Straitjacket"), as well as publishing several short stories in cultural magazines, Oprea was a participant in the Brașov Rebellion of 1987.

Since 1989

Radiografia clipei, which was banned in 1987,

In 1992, Oprea established the Vladimir Colin Cultural Foundation and associated awards, while in 1995, he opened Athena Publishing House in Bucharest. In 2022 he publishes the novel “EPHAPHATHA sau Asasinul unui președinte?(EPHAPHATHA or, The Assassin of a President?)” considered by the literary critic Marian Odangiu to be "one of the best sociopolitical and historical novels of the last 30 years.". In November 2023 the latter book received the "Special Prize of the Committee for Prose" from the "Timișoara Writers Association".

Publications Domenii interzise ("Forbidden Areas"), Editura Albatros, Bucharest, 1984. Radiografia clipei ("The X-ray of an Instant"), Editura Dacia, Cluj-Napoca, 1990; Second edition: Editura Curtea Veche, Bucharest, 2003; Third edition: Editura Tracus Arte, Bucharest, 2016. Cămașa de forță ("The Straitjacket"), Editura Nemira, Bucharest, 1992; Second edition: Editura Curtea Veche, 2004; Third edition: Editura Eikon, Bucharest, 2016. Trilogia lui Theophil Magus ("The Theophil Magus Trilogy") Cele Nouă Învățături ale lui Theophil Magus despre Magia Transilvană ("The Nine Teachings of Theophil Magus on Transylvanian Magic"), Editura Polirom, Bucharest, 2000. Cartea lui Theophil Magus sau 40 de povești despre om ("The Book of Theophil Magus or 40 Tales about Man"), Editura Polirom, 2001. Meditaţiile lui Theophil Magus sau Simple Cugetări Creștine la Început de Mileniu III ("The Meditations of Theophil Magus or Simple Christian Thoughts at the Beginning of the Third Millennium"), Editura Polirom, 2002. Theophil Magus - Confesiuni 2004-2006 ("Theophil Magus - Confessions 2004-2006"), Editura Universal Dalsi, Bucharest, 2007. The Book of Theophil Magus or 40 Tales About Man, AuthorHouse, 2003. Theophil Magus in Baton Rouge: A Haiku Novel, Xlibris, 2008. Trilogy of Theophil Magus - The Truth, Xlibris, 2008. Theophil Magus Living in Boston - Anna-Maria 101 Breathings, Xlibris, 2011. The Daily Agony of Theophil Magus: Jazz & Blues Haiku Novel for Anna-Maria, Xlibris, 2012. Theophil Magus in America – 1001 Respirații ("Theophil Magus in America – 1001 Breathings"), Editura Kron-Art, Brașov, 2013. Hello God ("Trilogy of Theophil Magus - The Life", Volume III), Xlibris, 2013. Noi Domenii Interzise and Domenii Interzise ("New Forbidden Areas" and "Forbidden Areas"), Editura Tracus Arte, Bucharest, 2015. Trilogia lui Theophil Magus (The trilogy of Theophil Magus), illustrated edition, updated and revised, Editura Eikon, Bucharest, 2015 Lehamitea lui Theophil Magus (The Very-Spleen of Theophil Magus), Eikon Publishing House, Bucharest, 2016 Theophil Magus—Moarte şi Viață (Theophil Magus--Death and Life), Eikon Publishing House, Bucharest, 2017 Trezirea Șoimului Theophil Magus (The Hawk Awakening Theophil Magus), Eikon Publishing House, Bucharest, 2019 Metafizica Simplității lui Theophil Magus (Theophil Magus's Metaphysics of Simplicity), Eikon Publishing House, Bucharest, 2021 EPHPHATHA sau, Asasinul unui președinte? (EPHPHATHA or, the Assassin of a president?), Eikon Publishing House, Bucharest, 2022 Domenii interzise ("Forbidden Areas"), Commemorative edition (With foreword by Nicolae Steinhardt), Eikon Publishing House, Bucharest, 2024