Dive into the undiscovered art of Bulgarian Literature

The first Bulgarian Book Festival in Belgium hits our capital. The joint initiative of the country’s Cultural Centre and the multilingual bookshop and literary platform Librebook, brings to the city Bulgarian award-winning authors and poets, creative writing workshops and children’s book presentations in English, French and Bulgarian.

The initiative honors the National Day of the Bulgarian enlightenment, culture and of the Slavic letters held on May 24th. “It is an opportunity to meet some of the most interesting Bulgarian authors and publishers,” says Antonio Parodi, Librebook’s founder and manager. “We invite readers to hear excerpts from the same book in English, French or German for sharing emotions beyond language barriers.”

On Friday, in the very presence of the Bulgarian ambassador to Belgium, Maya Dobreva, Librebook welcomes critically acclaimed writer and translator Zdravka Evtimova. Her short stories have appeared in 23 countries worldwide.

Then on Saturday you can enjoy an afternoon tea and a book talk with five of the best contemporary authors in Bulgarian literature: novelist and playwright Emil Andreev, 2014 nominee in the Fans of Flanders & VIW writing contest Irina Papancheva, 2011 European Union Literature prize winner Kalin Terziyski, artist and poet Svetlina Trifonova, fiction writer and essayist Hristo Karastoyanov.

A Belgian-Bulgarian Connection

It’s the first time someone shines a light on Bulgarian books in Brussels. And on top of that, it’s the first major test for the still relatively young cultural association, which was only founded in 2017.

“The festival is a cultural bridge for Bulgarian authors, who live and write in Bulgaria, and their Bulgarian colleagues in Belgium,” sаid Tania Staneva, President of the Bulgarian Cultural Association in Belgium. “The two-day event will feature highlights of contemporary Bulgarian literature, created in our country and beyond its borders.” A great chance, indeed, to discover the Balkan nation’s rich culture and diverse traditions.

BULGARIAN BOOK FESTIVAL 7/6, 18.30 & 8/06, 16.00, Librebook