Tag Archives: Bulgarian Literature Month

Bulgarian Literature Month started

As announced earlier, I am busy these weeks with editorial work related to the Bulgarian Literature Month at the Global Literature in Libraries Initiative.

The first blog post, a short introduction, was published yesterday. Today there is an extremely interesting interview I could conduct with Milena Deleva, the Managing Director of the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation, the most important institution active in the promotion of Bulgarian literature in the English-speaking world.

For those with an interest in Bulgarian literature, I recommend to follow all the blog posts at GLLI in June. There will be reviews, poetry, interviews, publisher profiles and a few other things related to Bulgarian literature.

Happy reading!

#BulgarianLiteratureMonth

© Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com, 2014-8. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Bulgarian Literature Month: title pick and giveaways

As I have mentioned earlier, the Global Literature in Libraries Initiative is organizing a Bulgarian Literature Month in June, and I will be the editor of this event.

In the meantime, I have already commissioned quite a number of reviews and will also post one or two things myself. However, there are still a number of books that could be included, provided I find a reviewer (preferably a book blogger or someone else who is doing bookish things).

Here is a short list of books which – if you belong to the category mentioned above – are open still for reviewing during Bulgarian Literature Month:

Classics:

Ivan Vazov: Under the Yoke – the first Bulgarian novel, and until today read in school
Aleko Konstantinov: Bay Ganyo – not all Bulgarian love this book, because it is satirically exposing certain elements of the Bulgarian national character (just like not all Czechs love Schwejk!)

A modern classic:

Ivailo Petrov: Wolf Hunt –  

Contemporary Bulgarian literature:

Virginia Zaharieva: 9 Rabbits
Albena Stambolova: Everything Happens As It Does
Angel Igov: A Short Tale of Shame
Zahary Karabashliev: 18% Gray
Hristo Karastoyanov: The Same Night Awaits Us All
Georgi Gospodinov: Natural Novel
Deyan Enev: Circus Bulgaria
Angel Wagenstein: Farewell, Shanghai

Bulgarian-born authors that write in another language:

Miroslav Penkov: East of the West
Miroslav Penkov: Stork Mountain
Kapka Kassabova: Street without a Name
Ilija Troyanow: Collector of the Worlds
Elias Canetti: The Tongue Set Free

Fiction by foreign authors but with a Bulgarian setting:

Will Buckingham: The Descent of the Lyre
Rana Dasgupta: Solo
Garth Greenwell: What Belongs to You
Elizabeth Kostova: The Shadow Land
Julian Barnes: The Porcupine

Non-fiction:

Dimana Trankova / Anthony Georgieff: A Guide to Jewish Bulgaria
Dimana Trankova / Anthony Georgieff: A Guide to Communist Bulgaria
Tzvetan Todorov: The Fragility of Goodness
Mary C. Neuburger: Balkan Smoke
Clive Leviev-Sawyer: Bulgaria: Politics and Protests in the 21st Century
 
The reviews need to be unpublished and preferably in English. Let me know if you are interested in reviewing a book on this list.

I have also a few giveaways. Those will be given preferably to those who commit themselves to write a review of the above mentioned titles. If you are interested in a giveaway (it should be reviewed too for Bulgarian Literature Month), please let me know until 29 April. If several people are interested in a giveaway, I will draw lots.

The giveaways:

Milen Ruskov: Thrown Into Nature – a novel by one of Bulgaria’s most acclaimed contemporary writers
 
Kerana Angelova: Elada Pinyo and Time – “The novel describes the myth of the person who travels through various wombs and embraces, undergoes multiple transformations due to the culture of times, yet never stops expressing the deep faith that above our earthly trials watches the law of love.”
 
Randall Baker: Bulgariana – diary of one of the founders of New Bulgarian University in Sofia; a fun read that gives a deep and sympathetic insight into the Bulgaria of the 21st Century
 
Nikolai Grozni: Claustrophobias – an autobiographical novel of an author that was a wunderkind pianist and a monk in an ashram in India, and a lot of other things
 
Ivailo Petrov: Before I was born – story collection of one of the most important post-WW II authors from Bulgaria (the book is antiquarian, but in very good condition)
 
Hristo Hristov: Kill the Wanderer – Hristov, an investigative journalist, describes the life and the assassination of Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian author and journalist, in London. Considering the recent news about Julia Kristeva, who was exposed as a collaborator of the Bulgarian State Security, it is important to not forget what this institution did to enemies of the system.
 
And now, let me know which book you want to review, and in which giveaway you are interested. (The winners will be informed individually and by a post here on 30 April.) 

© Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com, 2014-8. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 


Bulgarian Literature Month upcoming at Global Literature in Libraries Initiative

The Global Literature in Libraries Initiative will host a Bulgarian Literature Month in June! And while this is for me already a reason to beam with delight, I am even more pleased that I was invited to be the editor of this event! 

In practice this means that in June the blog of the Global Literature in Libraries Initiative website will publish on a daily basis book reviews of Bulgarian fiction, and of books related to Bulgaria, including non-fiction, by a wide range of contributors I hope. I will try to invite participants who can cover a big variety of topics and books for review, including literature from women, LGBT literature, books on history, culture, arts, etc. Additionally, I will try to squeeze in some other posts related to the topic, such as interviews with authors, publishers, translators and other relevant players in that field. So far I have already a lot of ideas and things will become more concrete very soon.

For a number of reviews of books I would like to include, I will contact some of the “usual suspects” I have in mind. But I am of course open, if one of my blogger colleagues wants to join in, or any other reader who thinks she/he can contribute something interesting. Eligible are texts that haven’t been published elsewhere. If you have questions, or if you want to write a contribution in the framework of Bulgarian Literature Month, please send me a message in the comment section of this blog post or at th@mytwostotinki.com.  

Thanks to Rachel Hildebrandt (just nominated for the Helen and Kurt Wolff Translation Prize!) and to Karen Van Drie from Global Literature in Libraries Initiative for giving me this opportunity – I feel honored! 

These words from the mission statement of GLLI I wholeheartedly support:

“The Global Literature in Libraries Initiative strives to raise the visibility of world literature for adults and children at the local, national and international levels. We intend to do so by facilitating close and direct collaboration between translators, librarians, publishers, editors, and educators, because we believe that these groups in collaboration are uniquely positioned to help libraries provide support and events to engage readers of all ages in a library framework that explores and celebrates literature from around the world.

We want to increase the visibility of international works in English translation so that more readers can enjoy the amazing diversity in these books and the perspectives they present. And we would like to do this by increasing cooperation between literary translators, international literature advocates, and librarians, who are already experts at guiding readers to new titles. Whether you are a children’s librarian or a YA blogger, a rural library director or a teacher at a large urban school with a diverse student population, we would welcome your insights as we explore collaborative opportunities to encourage readers to explore beyond the boundaries of their own culture and language.”  

I will keep you posted!

© Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com, 2014-8. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

 

 

 


German Literature Month 2016

german-literature-month-vi

Recently I have been not very active on my blog but this is going to change again very soon.

One of the reasons is the upcoming German Literature Month 2016, hosted again by Caroline (Beauty is a Sleeping Cat), and Lizzy (Lizzy’s Literary Life) in which I will of course participate with a few books – which ones I will decide at a later stage. 

I will also try to post some reviews from the past Bulgarian Literature Month which are still missing, and I have read also a few other interesting books which I may review here, if my time budget will allow it.

© Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com, 2014-6. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The value of literature

Sofia, Vitosha Boulevard, monument of the writer Aleko Konstantinov (author of Bay Ganyo).

J26 219 Blvd. Vitoša, Aleko Konstantinov.jpg

I am asking Dimi (7 years old), if he knows who the person is.
He answers: yes!  –  The guy on the 100 Leva banknote!

————————————————————————————————————–

Стойността на литература

Витошка, паметник на Алеко Константинов.

Питам Дими (7-годишна възраст), ако той знае кой е човекът.
Той отговаря: Да! Човекът на 100 лева банкнота!

#BulgarianLiteratureMonth2016

Photo: By Falk2 – Собствена творба, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49783967

© Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com, 2014-6. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Bulgarian Literature Month 2016 – update

Due to a lot of work and travelling, I am a bit late with my wrap-up of the first Bulgarian Literature Month 2016. Therefore today just a short note:

I have read 14 books for BulgarianLitMonth, half of them poetry collections, all in Bulgarian. Three of the other books I read also in Bulgarian, none of these books is so far published in a foreign language. Samples of my translations (in German) from the poetry books have already appeared on this blog.

When I was announcing Bulgarian Literature Month 2016, I was not sure if there would be any interest by other bloggers or readers. Fortunately the participation of some of my fellow bloggers ensured a really amazing interest in Bulgarian Literature. Thank you all, I am very grateful!

A link list with all blog posts related to Bulgarian Literature Month and a more detailed wrap-up will follow soon; I intend also to publish reviews of the other six prose books I read. Time constraints will delay that a bit, but I will definitely post them in the upcoming weeks.

#BulgarianLiteratureMonth2016

© Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com, 2014-6. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

“Die Frauen von Bordeaux”, von Vladimir Sabourin

Жените на Бордо
ще бъдат смугли.
 
Светлоокият мъж
се връща луд
сред меките хълмове
на Швабия.
 
Във френските плантации
край Сантяго
господарките говорят френски
робините йоруба.
 
 
—————————–
 
 
Die Frauen von Bordeaux
werden dunkelhäutig sein.
 
Der helläugige Mann
kehrt verrückt heim
zu den sanften Hügeln
Schwabens
 
Auf den französischen Plantagen
in der Nähe von Santiago
sprechen die Herrinnen Französisch
die Sklavinnen Yoruba

 

 

aus: Vladimir Sabourin: bakarena fabrika (Kupferfabrik*), Stiftung “Literaturen Vestnik”, Sofia 2015

*Die “Kupferfabrik” ist ein ausgesprochen heruntergekommener Friedhof in Sofia, ein Ort an dem Arme und sozial Deklassierte “entsorgt” werden; ein wahrhaft deprimierender Ort absoluter Hoffnungslosigkeit.

Übersetzung aus dem Bulgarischen von Thomas Hübner

 #BulgarianLitMonth2016

© Vladimir Sabourin, 2015
© Foundation "Literaturen Vestnik", 2015
© Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com, 2014-6. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

“Lied der vietnamesischen Arbeiter”, von Vladimir Sabourin

Песен
на виетнамските работници
 
Ние сме идеалните заварчици
за корабостроителниците
на Голямата Река
стигахме до най-трудните места
в железните утроби
А под нас изтичат водите
на сухите докове
Така искаме да се трудиме
докато всичко изтича
и да е изтекло тихо
под бръмченето на електрожените.
 
 
———————————————————–

Lied
der vietnamesischen Arbeiter
 
Wir sind die idealen Schweißer
für die Schiffswerften
des Großen Flusses
wir erreichen die schwierigsten Stellen
der eisernen Schöße
Unter uns verebben die Wasser der Trockendocks
So wollen wir uns abmühen
bis alles verebbt
und still erloschen ist
unter dem Brummen der Schweißgeräte.

 

aus: Vladimir Sabourin: bakarena fabrika (Kupferfabrik*), Stiftung “Literaturen Vestnik”, Sofia 2015

*Die “Kupferfabrik” ist ein ausgesprochen heruntergekommener Friedhof in Sofia, ein Ort an dem Arme und sozial Deklassierte “entsorgt” werden; ein wahrhaft deprimierender Ort absoluter Hoffnungslosigkeit.

Übersetzung aus dem Bulgarischen von Thomas Hübner

 #BulgarianLitMonth2016

© Vladimir Sabourin, 2015
© Foundation "Literaturen Vestnik", 2015
© Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com, 2014-6. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

“Und spürst du…”, von Krum Atsev

И чувстваш ли
изгарящия вкус на живот по устните си
пустоскитнико
или нищо не чувстваш

———————————

Und spürst du
den brennenden geschmack des lebens auf deinen lippen
wüstenstreicher
oder spürst du nichts

 

aus: Krum Atsev: Tova-Onova, Izdatelstvo za poezija DA, Sofia 2016

Übersetzung von Thomas Hübner

#BulgarianLitMonth2016

 

PS: Dank an Vladimir Sabourin für den “wüstenstreicher”!

© Krum Atsev, 2016
© IK DA, 2016
© Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com, 2014-6. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

“wochenende”, von Stefan Ivanov

краят на седмицата
 
в тишината на неделния следобед
 
погледът преминава
през празната детската градина
покрай люляка брезите и
неопетнения от стъпки прах по паветата
 
няма човек
няма отражение
което да докаже
че те има
 
вятърът разнася
сивия цигарен дим
без да се вълнува
кой го е запалил

———————————————————–
 
wochenende
 
in der stille des sonntagnachmittags
 
schweift der blick
über den leeren kindergarten
vorbei an birken und flieder
ungestört von schritten auf dem staubigen pflaster
 
kein mensch
keine anzeichen
die beweisen
dass es dich gibt
 
der wind verbreitet
grauen zigarettenrauch
ohne sich darum zu scheren
wer ihn entfacht hat

aus: Stefan Ivanov: Spisatsi, Siela, Sofia 2009

Übersetzung aus dem Bulgarischen von Thomas Hübner

#BulgarianLitMonth2016

© Stefan Ivanov, 2009
© Siela, 2009
© Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com, 2014-6. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Thomas Hübner and mytwostotinki.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.