the book by Sheilah Kast and Jim Rosapepe that finally lays the Count to rest

Sheilah Kast and Jim Rosapepe signing copies of 'Dracula is Dead'

On Monday, 23 November 2009, the infamous Count Dracula was finally put to rest in a ceremony taking place at the Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre in London.

It was not exactly garlic and stakes through the heart that annihilated him, but an extraordinary book written by former US ambassador to Romania, Jim Rosapepe, and his wife, award-winning journalist Sheilah Kast. A photo gallery documenting the event is available here.

The book, appropriately called ‘Dracula is Dead’, takes readers on a memorable tour of Romania – past, present, and future. Through a series of colourful vignettes, the authors introduce us to the people, places, and history of Romania, transporting us to a vibrant country many know little about.

The authors believe that when people think about Romania, what most often comes to mind are images of Dracula’s fog-enshrouded castle in Transylvania, bleak orphanages, and an oppressed people reeling from Nicolae Ceausescu’s regime. They wanted to set the record straight, presenting a thriving nation that has overcome centuries of tyranny to emerge as a true success story with a bright future – that’s why they call Romania the New Italy.

In a conversation with Nicolae Ratiu, host of the evening and Chairman of the Ratiu Foundation, Jim and Sheilah confessed that their motivation for filling the void in the literature about Romania was the fact that they believe the time has come for people to stop putting Dracula and Romania in the same equation. Jim and Sheilah also wanted to explain the impact of the fall of Communism in Europe and to help the public understand the growth of democracy throughout the world.

Nicolae Ratiu congratulated the authors on their achievement, wishing them many more successes on the forthcoming launch of the book on the Romanian market. He then invited all present to a traditional Romanian foods buffet, accompanied by Romanian wine.

Spicing things up and adding an extra dimension to the event, Romanian violin genius Bogdan Vacarescu and accordionist extraordinaire Zivorad Nikolic enchanted the audience with a toe-tapping, dance-inducing selection of Romanian and Balkan tunes.

Not only Dracula was laid to rest this evening, people also danced on his grave.

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‘DRACULA IS DEAD: How Romanians Survived Communism, Ended it, and Emerged since 1989 as the New Italy’ by Sheilah Kast and Jim Rosapepe
Hardcover, 424 pages, 32 black-and-white photographs, 12 maps, Bancroft Press (November 2009).
ISBN 978-1-890862-65-7.
For more details and to purchase a signed copy, please go to www.DraculaIsDead.com

You can still buy signed copies from the Romanian Cultural Centre at the special price of £15.00 (regular price £18.99). Send us a cheque to the value of £15.00, made to the name “Romanian Cultural Centre”. For deliveries ( UK only), please add the sum of £3.00 (postage and packing) to the price of the book. This offer is valid while stock lasts.