Twelve Minutes of Love: A Tango Story [Hardcover]

'Sharp, clever and engaging, it vividly depicts a world full of beauty and heartbreak, of love and loss' --Independent on Sunday

'Warm, witty and deftly written ... reveals much more about tango's allure and enigma than any more distanced study might' --Time Out

'A sexy step through the myths around tango and its physical, emotional and psychological layers' --GQ

'A beautiful book, beautifully written ... an exquisitely written story'
--Dance Today

'Conveys more than enough of the delirious highs of tango to make you ache for an evening of ochos and boleos'
--Metro

'A mesmeric memoir of love, lust and tango ... Kassabova relishes the painful blisters as much as the seductive bliss' --Marie Claire

'A touching and insightful chronicle of a ten year obsession that dragged her around the world by the heartstrings' --Scotsman

'A comprehensive history ... Upon reaching the last page I realise I'll miss this lively voice' --Herald

To the uninitiated, tango is just a dance, albeit a dance with an exotic and sensuous allure. To the true tanguero, it is something akin to a religion, attracting the lost, the lonely, and the fanatical with its formal rituals, its sense of belonging, and its intense emotions. Kapka Kassabova first set foot in a tango studio ten years ago and, from that moment, she was hooked. With the pulse of tango thruming through her body and the music filling in her head, she's danced through the night, from Auckland to Edinburgh, from Berlin to Buenos Aires, suffering blisters and heart-break, as well as forging lasting friendships and experiencing all-too-brief moments of dance-floor ecstasy. Here Kapka takes us inside the esoteric night-time world of tango, to tell the story of the dance from its afro roots to its sequined apotheosis in 'show tango', exploring its cultural and emotional pull and enticing us to join her at the milonga.

KAPKA KASSABOVA was born in Sofia and learned to speak English at the age of 16 when her family emigrated to New Zealand after the fall of the Berlin Wall. She lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is the author of the novel Villa Pacifica (Alma Books, 2011) and four poetry collections including Geography for the Lost (Bloodaxe, 2007). She translated Circus Bulgaria by Deyan Enev (Portobello, 2010), and one of her short stories appeared in The Year of Open Doors, a new anthology of Scottish fiction in 2010. She has written for The Times, The Guardian, Vogue, and Granta.com. Her non-fiction debut in 2008, Street Without a Name (Portobello), was shortlisted for the Prix Europeen du Livre and the Dolman Best Travel Book Award. www.kapka-kassabova.com and www.twelveminutesoflove.com