Know her words

Aksinia Mihaylova

Aksinia Mihaylova is a poet and translator from French. Co-founder of the first Bulgarian private literary magazine Ah, Maria. Author of six poetry books in Bulgarian and three poetry books in French. Aksinia’s books of selected poems have been published in Slovak, Arabic, Italian, Romanian, Latvian and Greek. Her poems have been translated into different languages, and have also appeared in Canada, the USA, Mexico, Colombia, Australia, Egypt, Japan, and China. Aksinia is a member of the Bulgarian PEN, Bulgarian Translators’ Union, and the Association of Bulgarian writers.

Aksinia Mihaylova

Poetry

Aksinia Mihaylova is a poet and translator from French. Co-founder of the first Bulgarian private literary magazine Ah, Maria. Author of six poetry books in Bulgarian and three poetry books in French. Aksinia’s books of selected poems have been published in Slovak, Arabic, Italian, Romanian, Latvian and Greek. Her poems have been translated into different languages, and have also appeared in Canada, the USA, Mexico, Colombia, Australia, Egypt, Japan, and China. Aksinia is a member of the Bulgarian PEN, Bulgarian Translators’ Union, and the Association of Bulgarian writers.

Amelia Litcheva

Amelia Licheva is a poet and literary critic. She is a professor of literature theory at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski”. Amelia’s poems have been translated into English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Slovak, Croatian, Hungarian, Arabic. She is also Editor-in-chief of the Literary Journal, editor of the Literature Magazine, and a member of the editorial board of Foreign Language Training Magazine.

Amelia Litcheva

Literary Criticism, Poetry

Amelia Licheva is a poet and literary critic. She is a professor of literature theory at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski”. Amelia’s poems have been translated into English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Slovak, Croatian, Hungarian, Arabic. She is also Editor-in-chief of the Literary Journal, editor of the Literature Magazine, and a member of the editorial board of Foreign Language Training Magazine.

Zdravka Evtimova

Zdravka Evtimova is an award-winning Bulgarian writer. Her short story Blood is included in an anthology of recommended readings for teaching literature in junior high schools in the USA and in the high school curriculum in Denmark. Her short stories have been published in 32 counties in the world. In January 2023, Evtimova won the Inaugural 2023 Dr. T. O’Conor Sloane Prize in Speculative Fiction in the USA. Her LAURA AND OTHER STORIES short story collection is a new Bulgarian success in literature abroad in 2024.

Zdravka Evtimova

Fiction

Zdravka Evtimova is an award-winning Bulgarian writer. Her short story Blood is included in an anthology of recommended readings for teaching literature in junior high schools in the USA and in the high school curriculum in Denmark. Her short stories have been published in 32 counties in the world. In January 2023, Evtimova won the Inaugural 2023 Dr. T. O’Conor Sloane Prize in Speculative Fiction in the USA. Her LAURA AND OTHER STORIES short story collection is a new Bulgarian success in literature abroad in 2024.

Kerana Angelova

Kerana Angelova is the author of 18 poetry and essay collections, and novels. Some of the novels have been translated into English and German. Kerana writes poetry as well. A selection of her poems has been translated into English, Dutch, and Frisian in the Netherlands. Translations have been available in the USA, Italy, Russia, North Macedonia, Hungary, Serbia, Georgia, Spain, Peru, Romania, Greece, Egypt, and Chile. Non-fiction writing is her passion, too. Essays of varying length and genre constitute two volumes of works: One O’Clock After Midnight and It Is Light Outside at One O’Clock After Midnight. "Sunflowers for Maria" has made it on to The Hotlist 2024 shortlist of 30 candidate books from 204 high-quality submissions. The novel has won the public vote.

Kerana Angelova

Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry

Kerana Angelova is the author of 18 poetry and essay collections, and novels. Some of the novels have been translated into English and German. Kerana writes poetry as well. A selection of her poems has been translated into English, Dutch, and Frisian in the Netherlands. Translations have been available in the USA, Italy, Russia, North Macedonia, Hungary, Serbia, Georgia, Spain, Peru, Romania, Greece, Egypt, and Chile. Non-fiction writing is her passion, too. Essays of varying length and genre constitute two volumes of works: One O’Clock After Midnight and It Is Light Outside at One O’Clock After Midnight. "Sunflowers for Maria" has made it on to The Hotlist 2024 shortlist of 30 candidate books from 204 high-quality submissions. The novel has won the public vote.

Kristin Dimitrova

Kristin Dimitrova is a writer, poet, and translator. She has a PhD in Journalism and Mass communication. Her fiction writing includes the novels Sabazius (2007), which is also published in Mexico in 2016, Belarus in 2012, and Romania in 2013, and - the very recent one - I Will Be Back for You (2022). Kristin’s poems, short stories, and essays have been translated into 29 languages and have been published in 38 countries. "The Planet of the Pensioners" - three poems about old age by Kristin, Erika Burkart and Emmanuelle Riva - has inspired Lorna Loriane, a Costa Rican painter, to integrate the poems into the project Perdiéndome.

Kristin Dimitrova

Fiction, Poetry

Kristin Dimitrova is a writer, poet, and translator. She has a PhD in Journalism and Mass communication. Her fiction writing includes the novels Sabazius (2007), which is also published in Mexico in 2016, Belarus in 2012, and Romania in 2013, and - the very recent one - I Will Be Back for You (2022). Kristin’s poems, short stories, and essays have been translated into 29 languages and have been published in 38 countries. "The Planet of the Pensioners" - three poems about old age by Kristin, Erika Burkart and Emmanuelle Riva - has inspired Lorna Loriane, a Costa Rican painter, to integrate the poems into the project Perdiéndome.

Mariela Baeva

Mariela has contributed to The Parliament Magazine. Her op-ed pieces shed light on themes in a wide range of stories. Mariela has also contributed to The Writers' Journal, the FMA Bulletin and books, and New Europe, Standartnews (Bulgaria) and other outlets, by writing fiction and non-fiction pieces about EU policies and the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Mariela is a guest speaker at several universities. The Economist named her in their inaugural Global Diversity list. Listed in the Notable People Project.

Mariela Baeva

Fiction, Non-Fiction

Mariela has contributed to The Parliament Magazine. Her op-ed pieces shed light on themes in a wide range of stories. Mariela has also contributed to The Writers' Journal, the FMA Bulletin and books, and New Europe, Standartnews (Bulgaria) and other outlets, by writing fiction and non-fiction pieces about EU policies and the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Mariela is a guest speaker at several universities. The Economist named her in their inaugural Global Diversity list. Listed in the Notable People Project.

Mirela Ivanova

Mirela Ivanova is the author of nine books of poetry. They are part of Bulgarian and European poetry anthologies. She is a finalist in the prestigious 2024 European Poet of Freedom award. Mirela has also published two collections of short stories and two volumes of articles. Her works are currently being translated into English, German, and Turkish. Mirela is a playwright at Ivan Vazov National Theatre.

Mirela Ivanova

Playwriting, Poetry

Mirela Ivanova is the author of nine books of poetry. They are part of Bulgarian and European poetry anthologies. She is a finalist in the prestigious 2024 European Poet of Freedom award. Mirela has also published two collections of short stories and two volumes of articles. Her works are currently being translated into English, German, and Turkish. Mirela is a playwright at Ivan Vazov National Theatre.

Stoianka Boianova

Stoianka Boianova is author of eleven books in the genres of poetry and fiction. Co-author with Minko Tanev (her husband and partner in literature) of five bilingual books in English and Bulgarian published upon the invitation of Cyberwit.net, India. Both have participated in more than 200 world anthologies with poetry, gogyoshi and haiku, have publications in more than 30 countries, have written forewords and reviews for over 40 of them. Poems of hers are included in HYPERPOEM Anthology (India, 2024) with a pending acceptance in the Guinness Book of World Records and Songs of Peace - World's Biggest Poetry Anthology, The League Of Poets, 2020. Stoianka participated in Manseerah – the Great Poetic Epic of Modern Man, United Arab Emirates, 2024. Since 2024, Ambassador of Kindness and Happiness has been bestowed on Stoianka Boianova by the Royal Kutai Mulawarman Peace International Institute.

Stoianka Boianova

Poetry

Stoianka Boianova is author of eleven books in the genres of poetry and fiction. Co-author with Minko Tanev (her husband and partner in literature) of five bilingual books in English and Bulgarian published upon the invitation of Cyberwit.net, India. Both have participated in more than 200 world anthologies with poetry, gogyoshi and haiku, have publications in more than 30 countries, have written forewords and reviews for over 40 of them. Poems of hers are included in HYPERPOEM Anthology (India, 2024) with a pending acceptance in the Guinness Book of World Records and Songs of Peace - World's Biggest Poetry Anthology, The League Of Poets, 2020. Stoianka participated in Manseerah – the Great Poetic Epic of Modern Man, United Arab Emirates, 2024. Since 2024, Ambassador of Kindness and Happiness has been bestowed on Stoianka Boianova by the Royal Kutai Mulawarman Peace International Institute.

is a PEN International Women Writers Committee Initiative to celebrate the best women’s writing from around the world. Here we present the 10 best Bulgarian entries.

Literature, national though it be in origin, knows no frontiers, and should remain common currency between nations in spite of political or international upheavals.

Anything that makes for international understanding and peace is to the good.

Our authors

Aksinia Mihaylova

Aksinia Mihaylova

Amelia Litcheva

Amelia Litcheva

Zdravka Evtimova

Zdravka Evtimova

Kerana Angelova

Kerana Angelova

Kristin Dimitrova

Kristin Dimitrova

Mariela Baeva

Mariela Baeva

Mirela Ivanova

Mirela Ivanova

Stoianka Boianova

Stoianka Boianova