Contemporary Bulgarian Prose 2018 Представянето на проекта на Международния панаир на книгата във Франкфурт 2018 е реализирано с финансовата подкрепа на Национален фонд Култура. Contemporary Bulgarian Prose 2018 Compilers: Mihaela Petrova, Head of the National Book Centre The Advisory Board: Prof. Dr. Amelia Licheva, Prof. Milena Kirova, Dr. Darin Tenev, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dariya Karapetkova, Dr. Mitko Novkov © Design: Damyan Damyanov, Rostislav Marinov | Editor: Angela Rodel © National Palace of Culture – Congress Centre Sofia 2018 CONTENTS National Palace of Culture | 9 Ivan Dimitrov | 62 Theodora Dimova | 125 Nikolay Terziysky | 184 National Book Centre | 10 The Power of Words The First Birthday Excommunication CONTEMPORARY BULGARIAN PROSE 2018 Kristin Dimitrova | 67 Vessella Lyutzkanova | 130 Petar Krumov | 189 Call Me When You Get There The First Birthday Hearse, Two Rhinos Alek Popov | 12 The Palaveev Sisters: On the Road to the New World Lea Cohen | 73 Vladimir Poleganov | 136 Tanya Shahova | 195 Raphael The Other Dream The German’s Girl Alexander Chobanov | 19 Not Over and Done Lyubomir Nikolov | 78 Vladislav Todorov | 141 Velislav Ivanov | 203 Happy People The Spinning Top Images and Reflections Angel Igov | 24 Fine Dust Particles Maria Stankova | 83 Yanitza Radeva | 148 Let’s See If God Will Laugh The Road to Threbes Deyan Enev | 29 The Carpenter Mikhail Veshim | 89 Yordanka Beleva | 154 When I Was an Army General Keder Dimana Trankova | 33 The Empty Cave Milen Ruskov | 95 Zachary Karabashliev | 158 Chamkoriya Havra (Fallow Lands) Evgenia Ivanova | 40 Cursed Novel Momchil Nikolov | 98 Zdravka Evtimova | 169 The Last Territory Stories from July Georgi Tenev | 45 Bulgarian Roses Nedyalko Slavov | 105 DEBUTS The Bell Hristo Karastoyanov | 52 Konstantin Trendafilov | 175 Postscript Svetlana Dicheva | 120 Closeyourheart Dark Chocolate Stories Ina Valchanova | 57 Lyudmila Mindova | 179 Breakdown Island A Novel About A Name 5 Contemporary Bulgarian Prose 6 TRANSLATORS ANDREA ANDREEVA IVELINA IVANOVA Lyubomir Nikolov Alexander Chobanov __________________________________________ __________________________________________ ANGELA RODEL KALINA TODOROVA Ina Valchanova | Milen Ruskov | Nedyalko Slavov Alek Popov | Deyan Enev | Ivan Dimitrov Vladislav Todorov | Zachary Karabashliev Yordanka Beleva | Zdravka Evtimova Nikolay Terziyski | Velislav Ivanov Momchil Nikolov | Maria Stankova ear publishers and friendsP of Bulgarian literature, __________________________________________ Konstantin Trendafilov | Tanya Shahova ANNIE DANCHEVA __________________________________________ It is my pleasure to present to you this catalogue, con- PETER BANCHEV Dtaining 33 of the most established Bulgarian authors. In their Angel Igov | Evgeniya Ivanova | Kristin Dimitrova wonderful fictional works, they share their artistic explorations, Svetlana Dicheva | Vessella Lyutzkanova Vladimir Poleganov their fervor, their reevaluation of historical context, and their in- Yanitsa Radeva | Lyudmila Mindova __________________________________________ teresting viewpoints on modern times. The collection represents __________________________________________ VALENTINA MILANOVA a cross-section of contemporary Bulgarian prose from July 2016 DESISLAVA TONCHEVA to December 2017. The project is remarkable because it brings Georgi Tenev | Mikhail Veshim together some of the most distinctive authors and books on ab- Petar Krumov Theodora Dimova solutely equal footing. __________________________________________ __________________________________________ EKATERINA PETROVA VELINA MINKOFF & ADAM WHITEMAN This is the third catalogue of Bulgarian Contemporary Prose compiled by the National Book Centre. We have also two cata- Dimana Trankova Lea Cohen logues of Children’s Books from Bulgaria: Contemporary Writers __________________________________________ and Artists. IZIDORA ANGEL The National Book Centre has a mission to support the publi- Hristo Karastoyanov cation, promotion and popularization of Bulgarian literature at home and throughout the world. It helps publishers, authors and their work to be accessible to everyone. One of the fundamental aims is to support the translation of more Bulgarian books into foreign languages. 7 Contemporary Bulgarian Prose 8 We believe that literary translators are the greatest ambassadors of the spirit, culture and history of each state. Their role is of the utmost importance for mutual understanding of all nations in a united Europe and around the world. Iya PETKOVA NATIONAL BOOK CENTRE Director of the Department for Strategic Development, Marketing, and Production The National Book Centre was founded in early 2015 under the auspices of the at the National Palace of Culture National Palace of Culture. The director of the National Book Centre is Mihaela Petrova. The goal of the centre is to interact with state institutions, universities, schools and oth- ers, without usurping the functions of the state. The National Book Centre in Sofia was established with the help of the Ministry of Culture and is supported by the Bulgarian Book Association. The National Book Centre’s purpose is to support the publishing, distribution and popularization of Bulgarian literature in the country and abroad. The “Bulgarian Book” and “Translations” programs are designed for Bulgarian and foreign publishers NATIONAL PALACE OF CULTURE engaged in the task of positioning Bulgarian literature in its rightful place on the world literary scene. The National Book Centre’s program for supporting Bulgarian literature The National Palace of Culture – Congress Centre Sofia (NPC) is one of the is open to foreign publishers across the globe for fiction and non-fiction books from largest multi-purpose venues in Southeastern Europe. Opened in 1981, NPC is designed contemporary and classic Bulgarian authors, translated from Bulgarian into any other to host a wide range of events, such as international congresses, official meetings, con- language and to be published as a first edition in the given country. The funding covers ferences, international conventions, summits, exhibitions, festivals, concerts and other up to 80% of the translation cost, after the receipt of a properly filled-out application cultural events. The Palace houses a rich variety of the most distinguished Bulgarian form and after approval from the council of experts. Grants are to be used solely for the collections of visual art designed by some of the country’s most prominent artists. These translation costs of the chosen title. Projects will also be assessed for literary quality, as monumental works are integrated into the conceptual architecture and design of NPC. well as on the strength of the publishing project and strategy. The programs are open on Currently, the National Palace of Culture seeks to give new dynamics to its environment a rolling basis and candidates can apply online at any time of the year. The results are by establishing diverse contemporary art spaces that are meant to shape Sofia’s cultur- announced 60 days after submission. Applications must be submitted by email along al life. In 2018 the National Palace of Culture hosted the Bulgarian Presidency of the with all the requested documents to the following address: [email protected] Council of the EU. On our page on the website www.ndk.bg you can find our catalogues, applica- tion forms and more information about translators, writers and their most interesting projects. 9 Contemporary Bulgarian Prose 10 Contemporary Alek Bulgarian POPOV Alek Popov (born Sofia, Bulgaria,P 1966) is one of the leading con- temporary Bulgarian writers, working not only as a novelist but Prose also dramatist, essayist and short-story writer. His hugely suc- cessful first novel, the comic satireMission London, based on his experiences as Bulgarian cultural attaché in London, has been 2018 translated in sixteen languages. The book was filmed in 2010, becoming the most popular Bulgarian film since the revolution of 1990 and being described by Variety as ‘a breakthrough phe- nomenon’. Award-winning The Black Box, his second novel, has so far ap- peared in six languages, including English, and was a bestseller in German translation as well as the original Bulgarian edition. Palaveev Sisters: In the Storm of History, his third novel, won the Helikon Award for best prose book of 2013 and was translated in German under the title Schneeweißchen und Partisanenrot (Snow White and Partisan Red). The second part of the novel The Pala- veev Sisters: On the Road to the New World was released in 2017. Over the years Alek Popov has won many literary awards includ- ing the Elias Canetti Prize for his novel The Black Box, 2007; He- likon Award for best prose book of the year, 2002, 2013; the Chu- domir Award for satirical fiction (Snow-White/Partisan-Red) 11 Contemporary Bulgarian Prose 12 2013; The Reading Man Prize, 2012; The Ivan Radoev National Prize for Drama, 2004, and etc. In 2012, Alek Popov was elected corresponding fellow of the Bulgarian Academy of Science in the field of Arts. Advanced Level (Ниво за напреднали), Zvezdan Für Fortgeschrittene ( For Advanced, short stories) Selected bibliography 2002; Abagar 2004 Rezidenz Verlag, 2009; The Way to Syracuse (Пътят към Сиракуза), Liter- Die Hunde fliegen tief (The Black Box), Rezidenz BOOKS IN BULGARIAN aturen Forum, 1998; Verlag, 2008; The Cabbage Cycle (Зелевият цикъл), Anubis, Mission London, Rezidenz Verlag, 2006; Novels: 1997; Zelený cyklus (short stories), Czech,, Dybbuk, Games of Magic (Игра на магии ), Otechestvo/