Saturday 07 October 2023

START: 18:00

CANETTI HOUSE

Zdravka Evtimova and Kristin Dimitrova set the beginning from their position as authors, but also as translators. At the very beginning of the festival we talked about Bulgarian literature in foreign languages, today this conversation continues along the lines of “Is Bulgarian literature global?”. How a quality translation from Bulgarian into a foreign language establishes a name for our author, and the author wins prestigious awards, was given by Georgi Gospodinov’s “Temporary Asylum” translated by Angela Rodel as an example. Both Zdravka Evtimova and Kristin Dimitrova are well known to the Bulgarian reader as writers. As guests of the festival, they are invited to talk about the translation, but will also read selected fragments from their latest books. “One of the most extravagant ways to starve to death is to be a translator from Bulgarian.” These words of the Bulgarian writer from Mexico Reynol Perez Vazquez sound relevant against the background of this year’s “Translations” program of the National Fund “Culture”, which was announced on August 18. The purpose of the program is to financially support foreign publishing houses in the translation, publication and distribution of Bulgarian fiction abroad. However, the budget for 2023 is four times smaller than last year’s, and for the first time there is a territorial limitation in the program. Only publishers from the European Union, the European Economic Community or Switzerland can apply for funding.

At 19:00, the meeting of the Ruse audience begins with Burhan Kerim, nominated for the “Elias Canetti” National Literary Award. The interesting thing about this nomination is that he won it with his debut novel, “The Lavender Boy”. It is a novel whose eye looks into the crack from which the light of magical, supercilious, metaphysical living streams. We believe unconditionally in it when we are children, but what happens to the one who dares not to give up this belief even after that? – words of the editor Kremena Dimitrova, who is in Ruse to present the book and moderate the meeting with Burhan Kerim.

Entrance to all the events of the festival is free, and the publishing houses offer the books of the presented authors at preferential prices.