Mawrdew Czgowchwz

Mawrdew Czgowchwz is the debut novel of American writer James McCourt first published in 1975 by Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

After falling out of print it was reprinted in a slightly revised form in 2002 by NYRB Classics.

[1] The novel follows the cult around an opera singer called Mawrdew Czgowchwz, pronounced Mardu Gorgeous.

Mawrdew was loosely based on real life opera singer Miliza Korjus.

In 1983 a story featuring the character entitled Mawrdew Czgowchwz in Dublin was published in the Summer issue of The Paris Review.