Goran’s twin passions of writing and martial arts came together in 2006 when he wrote his first book, 'Waking Dragons', detailing his 30-man karate fight. Published by Summersdale, it became an instant bestseller on Amazon’s martial arts listing and even outsold Bruce Lee for a while. The cover was designed by his trusty sidekick, Adrian.
Goran went on to write 5 more fiction and non-fiction titles and he was named British Martial Arts Writer of the Year in 2017.
When Goran’s karate teacher wrote a book, he turned to Adrian & Goran to produce it. They were too afraid to say no, so Adrian designed and directed Four Shades of Black –described as the most beautiful martial arts book ever produced, a coffee-table piece, and a work of art in itself. Goran appeared in some of the photos. Look away if you find scenes of violence distressing.
Photography: Richard Pullar
Another corporate identity by Adrian, this time for the architect’s practice Studio EMP. He designed everything from the logo to the letterheads, business cards and even the website, using a Squarespace template for easy content management and coding the finer details to achieve exactly the look he was after. What’s that saying about old dogs and new tricks?
Adrian’s passion for architecture, interior and furniture design culminated in a collaboration with London architects Paul Archer Design and Studio EMP to produce a Mies van der Rohe inspired conversion to his north London property.
The ‘Manor Road’ project was shortlisted for the Don’t Move, Improve awards in 2018 and featured in November 2018’s issue of Grand Designs magazine.
Photography: Nick Guttridge
Adrian feels any art director worth his salt should have a deep appreciation of the crafts involved in our business. Over the years, he’s developed his passion for photography with landscapes shot in Lanzarote, Andalucía, The Balearic Islands, The Yorkshire Dales and The Cotswolds.
Adrian’s portrait photography is characterised by intimate exploration of his loved ones, including his beloved business partner, Goran. Several of Adrian’s photos are available on Getty Images.
Adrian’s graphic design skills brought this building firm to Adrian & Goran for a complete new corporate identity and branding. He created everything from logo to stationery, and even went as far as designing their workwear and website.
The modern, professional look brought new clients, and in particular architects’ practices – exactly the kind of businesses they were looking to attract.
Goran’s first novel was published by YMAA Fiction in 2010 and went on to win a string of historical fiction awards. It tells the story of Bodhidharma, who brought Zen and martial arts to the Shaolin Temple in China. It was described by Chris Crudelli of the BBC’s Mind, Body and Kickass Moves as: ‘The book martial artists have been waiting 2000 years for.’
Goran’s multi award-winning second novel tells of the life and times of the real Mr Miyagi – Chojun Miyagi. A young Okinawan boy, Ota, begins training with the master as Japan prepares for war. After the attack on Pearl Harbour the tide of war turns against Japan, and in the aftermath of the Battle of Okinawa, master and student must fight to preserve their island and their art.
After 30 years of training, it was time for Goran to sit down for a well-earned rest and discover what sitting on a cushion and staring at a wall could reveal about the martial arts. And life. His journey led to a new dojo, a new sensei, and the writings of a Zen master that made no sense. But slowly, he got to grips with this ancient practice of body and mind that was less spiritual, and more real, than anything he’d imagined.
Since recording his own 30 Man Fight in his first book, ‘Waking Dragons,’ Goran went on to coach many fighters through this toughest of tests. Every Waking Moment goes deep into the mental, physical and spiritual training required to face 30 hardened fighters, and beyond, to karate as a way of life outside the dojo.
A homage to the Cold War thrillers of Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy, with a twist: Matryoshka’s hero is a former Soviet agent, Eva, trained in espionage and martial arts. Today, she operates as an art dealer in London but beneath the outer shell, the Matryoshka (Russian Doll) is still at work.
The cover was designed by Comrade Adrian. Goran has plenty more fiction plots in the pipeline. He could tell you more, but then he'd have to kill you.
