The nomination is for the Best Work for Children category, for the novel Platanos, a dystopian story about identity and transformation, addressed to “children of all ages.”
In a recent interview, Doina Ruști explains:
Platanos is, at first, the mysterious, fascinating stranger. He appears at the experimental treatment center, among the first cases of vegetalization. His presence dominates everything around him, just like the plane tree (the majestic tree) he resembles. Sisinel desperately wants to become his friend, turning him into a model—just as happens to all of us in moments of loneliness and uncertainty. But models are viable only in the ideal world of aspirations. Celebrities remain on the screen, cultural figures in books, and heroes are merely historical effigies. Sisinel is facing his first encounter with a model, and therefore takes that risky step of placing himself in the shadow of a plane tree.
The novel Platanos has attracted strong interest among young readers. Studied in schools as a short story, it became a successful YA novel in 2025, with Doina Ruști meeting numerous readers during the Platanos book tour.
The Eurocon Awards are presented annually within the European science fiction convention, bringing together authors, editors, and critics from across Europe. National selections reflect the dynamics of contemporary speculative fiction and each country’s contribution to the field.
Among the Romanian proposals are major names in fantasy and science fiction, with the full list published in HELION magazine.
Doina Ruști’s presence on the list of proposals confirms the international visibility of her work and the growing interest in Romanian literature within the European science fiction and fantasy circuit.
