Doom 94 is Jonevs’ debut novel, published first as Jelgava 94 in Latvia in 2013 and was quickly proved to be a big hit and bestseller. Translated into 11 languages already, it is here for the first time in English. The story is set in the 1990s in the Latvian city of Jelgava and looks at the burgeoning craze during this decade for the alternative culture of heavy metal music. Jonevs takes the reader deep inside the world of music, combining the intimate diary of a youngster trying to find himself by joining a subculture, as well as a skilful, detailed, and almost documentary-like depiction of the beginnings of the second independence of Latvia–where Jonevs is the first writer to stir up memories of this period through a fully-fledged literary depiction. Doom 94 is a portrait of a generation searching for their identity and up against the world, trying not to become ‘one of them’. But is it for real? Can any adult keep the promise made as a child?
Author
Jānis Joņevs (1980) is a prose writer. His first novel Jelgava '94 immediately became a cult book among readers. During the TV show Great Reading the novel was chosen among the 100 most favourite Latvian books of all times. It was also praised among critics and received numerous awards. The novel is set in Jelgava town in 1994 and focuses on youngsters who are driven to heavy metal music. Sharing this taste of music and subculture they explore the life through the eyes of their youth. It is a book of a whole generation which experienced their youth in the nineties when Latvia had just regained independence. This novel has been adapted for the theatre performance by Jelgava New Theatre, and currently is being shot as a film. It has been translated into French by Gaїa Editions in 2016 under the title Metal. The translation rights of the novel have been sold to Norway, Bulgaria, Turkey, Poland, and Slovenia. Jānis Joņevs also writes short stories, especially for children. In 2014 publishing house Liels un mazs published his book for the smallest Slepenie svētki/ Secret Celebration. Joņevs translates from French – A. Kristoff's The Notebook, and B. M. Kolté's In the Solitude of Cotton Fields. Jānis Joņevs together with Mārcis Lācis have written a play for the black comedy theatre performance Bārdas/The Beards staged at Dirty Deal Teatro in Riga in 2015, and the play Rīga. Urbānie mīti/ Riga. Urban Myths staged at the New Riga Theatre in 2016. Also he together with publicist Anete Konste have written a stories for the theatre performance Zvērīgā mīla/ Beastly Love staged at Dirty Deal Tearo in 2017.
