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Robert Lazu Kmita (born 23 January 1971 ) is a novelist, short-story writer, essayist, and columnist. Published in Romania in 2019, his debut novel was translated and published in United States in 2023 under the title The Island without Seasons. In the context of the Romanian culture, he initiated the study of the work of J. R. R. Tolkien, by writing the first monograph dedicated to the English author. He also coordinated an encyclopaedia of Tolkien's world and - together with Professor Virgil Nemoianu from Catholic University of America - a scholarly collection of studies entitled J.R.R. Tolkien: Credință și Imaginație. He is also known for his studies dedicated to classical Greek philosophy, as well as metaphysical and theological themes belonging to the classical Christian Tradition.

Biography
Because of the frequent political disturbances in the region that occurred after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1918), his great-grandparents of Polish and Ukrainian origin took refuge in Romania from the areas around the city Czernowitz which was situated in the historical region of Bukovina. His Polish ancestors had the family name Kmita, similar to that of the main character Andrzej Kmicic (Kmitas) from the novel The Deluge (Novel) (1886) written by Henryk Sienkiewicz. Robert completed his high school studies in Galați, at the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" High School (now the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" National College), between 1985 and 1989. He graduated, in 1996, from the Philosophy department of the Faculty of Letters, Philosophy and History, West University of Timișoara, with the thesis "Plato's cosmology in the Timaeus dialogue". In 2011, he obtained the title of Doctor of Philosophy from the West University of Timișoara with a work entitled "Mechanisms of knowledge in in Rene Descartes's Philosophy". Roman-Catholic, Robert is married to Laura with whom he has seven children.

Work
Since his debut as a writer, in 1995, Lazu Kmita published more than 150 studies, essays, short stories and reviews published in journals and magazines like Second Spring (Oxford), Dilema (now Dilema Veche, București), Idei în Dialog (București), Adevarul literar si artistic (București), Altarul Banatului (Timișoara), Vatra (Târgu-Mureș), Orizont (Timișoara), Cultura (București), A Treia Europa (Iași-Timișoara), Dialog Teologic (Iași), Cronica (Iași), De West (Timișoara), Clouds Magazine (USA), PC Games (Oradea), Radici Cristiane (Roma), Polonia Christiana (Cracovia),  Gregorius Magnus (London) etc.

English

 * The Island without Seasons, Os Justi Press, 2023.

Spanish

 * La Isla del Laberinto, The Scholastics Publishing House, 2021.

Romanian

 * Insula fără anotimpuri, Editura Galaxia Gutenberg, 2019.

Essays

 * Lumea lui Tolkien (second, revised edition), Editura Galaxia Gutenberg, 2012.
 * Călător prin America și alte eseuri, Editura Bastion, 2009.
 * Lumea lui Tolkien, Editura Hartmann PH, 2004.
 * Lecturi catolice, Editura Galaxia Gutenberg, 2004.
 * Exerciții hermeneutice, Editura Viața creștină, 2002.
 * Farmecul discret al teologiei, Editura Dacia, 2001.

Co-author

 * Robert Lazu, Mihaela Cernăuți-Gorodețchi and Györfi-Deák György, Enciclopedia lumii lui J. R. R. Tolkien, Editura Galaxia Gutenberg, 2007.
 * Robert Lazu and Virgil Nemoianu, J.R.R. Tolkien: Credință și Imaginație, Editura Hartmann, 2005.
 * Robert Lazu and Alin Tat, Perspective asupra Conciliului Vatican II, Editura Viața creștină, 2004.
 * Robert Lazu and Corneliu Mircea, Orizontul sacru, Iași, Editura Polirom, 1998.

English

 * „The Fantastic Secret of Tolkien’s Fairy-Tales. Literature & Jesuit Spiritual Exercises”], in Paul Kerry and Sandra Miesel (Editors), Light Beyond All Shadow. Religious Experience in Tolkien’s Work, Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2011, pp.112-123.
 * „Towards the Centre of the Self by Getting Inside the Belly of the Dragon: Levels of Initiation in Tolkien’s Works”, in Acta Iassyensia Comparationis, No.5/2007, pp.124-141.
 * „Images and Symbols in Tolkien’s Works. Hell”], in Archaeus. Studies in History of Religions, Issue No.XI-XII, 2007-2008, pp.351-375.
 * „Cardinals and Evolutionism”, in Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai. Theologia Catholica, No.2/2008, pp.83-87.
 * „Plato and Writing”, în Annales Universitatis Occidentalis Timisiensis Philosophia, Vol.III (XX), 2008, pp.5-13.
 * „Tolkien and the Musical Cosmogony”, published on the Romanian Tolkien Society blog.

Romanian

 * „Platon și scrierea”, in Caiet de lucrări științifice studențești, Timișoara, Tipografia Universității, 1995, pp.31-49.
 * „Filosoful și filosofia în dialogul Republica al lui Platon”, in Caiet de lucrări științifice studențești, Timișoara, Tipografia Universității, 1996, pp.72-82.
 * „Istoricitate și eternitate în dialogul Timaios”, in Probleme fundamentale de filosofia istoriei, Timișoara, Tipografia Universității, 1997, pp.37-43.
 * „Teologia lui Platon în dialogul Timaios”, in Altarul Banatului, No.1-3/1997, pp.54-61.
 * „Teologia lui Mircea Eliade”, in Altarul Banatului, No.4-6/1997, pp.19-38.
 * „Dialectica sacrului între teologie și metafizică”, in Corneliu Mircea and Robert Lazu (editors), Orizontul sacru, Iași, Editura Polirom, 1998, pp.109-126.
 * „Dialogul filosofilor în tradiția (neo)platoniciană”, in Dorin ȘTEFĂNESCU (editor), Despre întâlnire, Sighișoara, Kairos, 1998, pp.25-29.
 * „Platon și scrierea”, in Vatra, nr.7/1998, pp.9-13.
 * „Hegel, Husserl și Heidegger în interpretarea lui Mircea Eliade”, in Vatra, No.1/1999, pp.62-65.
 * „Scolii la un text recent: Dominus Iesus” (I), in Vatra, No.2-3/2001, pp.168-172.
 * „Eroarea lui Culianu. Nașterea modernității din perspectiva antropologiei tomiste”, in Studii tomiste, București, 2001, pp.105-113.
 * „Scolii la un text recent: Dominus Iesus” (II), in Vatra, No.6-7/2001, pp.183-190.
 * „Scolii la un text recent: Dominus Iesus” (III), in Vatra, No.1-2/2002, pp.105-112.
 * „Lumea lui Platon”, in Cornel Hărănguș and Ciprian Vălcan (editors), Labirintul subiectivității, Timișoara, Editura Augusta, 2001, pp.105-123.
 * „Criza lumii moderne, criza omului modern”, in Călin Săplăcan and Alin Tat (coordonatori), Mozaic teologic II, Cluj-Napoca, Editura Viața Creștină, 2002, pp.129-149.
 * „Păcatul originar – ipoteze teologice”, in Teodor Baconsky and Bogdan Tătaru-Cazaban (coordonatori), Dumitru Stăniloae sau paradoxul teologiei, București, Editura Anastasia, 2003, pp.159-182.
 * „Dualismul cartezian: o ecuație fără soluție?”, in Studia Universitatis Babes Bolyai - Theologia Catholica, 2012, Vol.57, Issue No.1-2, pp.89-98.

Translations

 * Notes and bibliography from Alain de Libera, La Mystique Rhenane, Paris, 1994 (in Romanian: Mistica renană, Timișoara, Editura Amarcord, 1997).
 * Chapter „Temple et cosmos” from Jean Hani, Le symbolisme du temple chrétien, Paris, 1962 (in Romanian: „Templu și cosmos”, in Caiete botoșănene, No.3-4/1998, pp.53-54).

TV Shows & Radio
Robert Lazu Kmita was invited at different TV and Radio shows. The most significant were Înapoi la argument (show host: Horia-Roman Patapievici, TVR 2), A 5-a roată (show host: Robert Șerban, TV Analog) and Cultura.NET (show host: Cătălin Sturza, Radio România Cultural).