A crazy idea born in Melbourne
In a move that might have lit up the classics shelf and Twitter at the same time, Melbourne-based writer Ander Louis (a pen name) has embarked on translating Leo Tolstoy’s monumental novel War and Peace into what he calls “bogan Australian” slang. Louis describes the project as a line-by-line adaptation of the 1922 English translation, keeping the original plot and characters but re-dialling the language and voice to reflect an Aussie vernacular.
He says it began almost as a lark — “the number one reason I started doing it was to make me laugh” — and has since gained a surprising following online.
What does “bogan Australian” actually look like?
In Louis’s version, aristocrats become colourful characters with classic Aussie slang. Phrases like “posh wankers”, “massive pissheads”, “complete drongos” pepper the dialogue.
As Louis explains:
There’s a spectrum of bogan, they’re not all alike … I wanted to have different characters roughly line up with different types of bogans.
Why it matters (and why some might roll their eyes)
On one hand, Louis’s project has sparked curiosity: it makes a famously difficult novel feel more approachable to readers who might have sidestepped Tolstoy before. “I actually wanted it to be a real translation … The difference is now it’s got an Aussie accent, and a little bit of humour injected into it.” On the other hand, purists may question whether classically-trained literature suffers when its tone is so radically altered. Translating not just language but voice into slang begs the question: is it still War and Peace in spirit?
Still, Louis believes that the “bogan” lens isn’t just cheap comedy—it’s a culturally specific filter that can shine new light on class, identity and how we tell big stories.
Where the project stands now
As of now, Louis has completed two of the novel’s sixteen books and has started work on the third. He initially shelved the project when life got busy with work and family — but a viral share on Reddit and Bluesky in April 2025 resurrected interest and boosted e-book downloads. He now hopes to finish the full novel, though he admits some upcoming chapters will be tricky: “I don’t know what I’m gonna do when I get to those … but I’ve got a long time to figure that out.”
