Ask Onix
From Russian aristocracy to Aussie pub talk
A Melbourne IT worker has reimagined Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace in thick Australian slang, transforming 19th-century Russian nobles into "sheilas," "drongos," and "true-blue legends." What began as a private joke in 2018 has now caught the attention of publishers-and a global audience hungry for "bogan" humor.
The accidental translator
Andrew Tesoriero, writing under the pen name Ander Louis, never intended to become a viral literary sensation. The 39-year-old father of two first tackled Tolstoy's 1,200-page epic in 2016 as part of an online challenge to read one chapter daily. He fell in love with the story-then fell harder for the idea of retelling it "how you'd hear it down the pub."
"The number one reason I started was to make myself laugh," Louis told the BBC. "If it cracked me up, maybe others would too." Six years later, his self-published "bogan" translation-where princes become "alright blokes" and princesses are "smoking hot sheilas"-has sparked a bidding war among publishers.
"It's like I've leaned over the fence of traditional publishing, nicked their crown jewel, and taken it down the pub."
Ander Louis, translator
From niche hobby to overnight hit
For years, Louis's project remained a passion project, selling "a handful" of copies to friends and curious readers. That changed in 2025 when a New York tech writer shared excerpts online. Descriptions of Napoleon as an "alright bloke" and a noble's death announced with "he's cactus" sent sales soaring. "Out of nowhere, it went berserk," Louis said. "Overnight, I sold 50 copies."
He credits the surge to America's current obsession with Australian culture-fueled in part by Bluey, the children's show that's topped US streaming charts for nearly two years. "Aussie-isms are in vogue over there," he noted.
Why 'bogan' works for Tolstoy
The term "bogan," which emerged in 1980s Australia as a pejorative for unsophisticated folk, has since evolved into a term of endearment. Mark Gwynn, a researcher at the Australian National University, explains it's less about class and more about attitude: "Bogans can be wealthy, poor, or in the middle. It's about how they behave, dress, and talk."
Louis argues that slang acts as a "great equalizer," bridging the gap between 19th-century Russian elites and modern readers. "There's a whole lot of different types of bogans," he said. His translation swaps Tolstoy's formal prose for phrases like "carrying on like a pack of galahs" (complaining loudly) and "hot as a tin roof in Alice" (extremely attractive).
Breaking down literary barriers
The project's appeal lies in its accessibility. Readers who once balked at War and Peace's density now find themselves hooked. "The best feedback I've gotten is people saying how much easier it is to understand what's going on," Louis said. His version trims none of the plot but wraps it in humor: a noble is a "fair dinkum" (genuine) bloke; a dramatic scene ends with "bloody hell."
Louis sees parallels between himself and Pierre Bezukhov, Tolstoy's bumbling, introspective protagonist. "Pierre's the everyman-this illegitimate guy who stumbles into high society," he said. "I feel like the bumbling buffoon who's crashed the walled garden of traditional publishing."
What would Tolstoy think?
Louis suspects the Russian author-who famously renounced his aristocratic privileges-might approve. "I think he'd get a kick out of it," he said. After all, Tolstoy's later works embraced simplicity and rejected elitism. The bogan translation, with its irreverence and warmth, might just be the ultimate democratization of a literary giant.
As for the future, Louis is fielding offers from publishers eager to bring his "literary heist" to a wider audience. The crown jewel of Russian literature, it turns out, pairs perfectly with a can of Aussie beer.
