Bulgaria: Guest of Honor at the 22nd TBF

With “Literature Beyond Borders’’ as its motto, Bulgaria, the Guest of Honour at the 22nd Thessaloniki International Book Fair, has designed a diverse programme in dialogue with Greece, in collaboration with HFBC. This programme reflects the contemporary literary landscape of our neighbouring country, spanning writing, translation, and illustration, as well as the professional sector and the book market. 

Over the last decade, Bulgarian literature has been gaining increasing international visibility. Prominent voices in modern Bulgarian prose enjoy global recognition, with numerous translations being published in various languages. Bulgarian literature takes great pride in Georgi Gospodinov’s 2023 International Booker Prize win, as well as Rene Karabash’s selection for the 2026 shortlist of the same award. In the past three years, dozens of novels, poetry collections, and short stories have been published in many languages worldwide. Bulgarian authors and their translators are becoming more widely known both at home and abroad through EUPL awards and PEN nominations, while talented illustrators participate in major artistic events and international book fairs. 

The opening ceremony of the 22nd TBF will take place on Wednesday, May 6, at 19:00, in the “Emilios Riadis’’ hall at TIF-HELEXPO. Speakers will include Nayden Todorov, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria, and author Theodora Dimova, representing the guest of honour country. 

The programme opens on Thursday, May 7, with Gergana Pancheva, Director of the Sofia Literary Agency, and Svetlozar Zhelev, Director of the National Book Centre of Bulgaria. They will present an overview of the Bulgarian book market, covering data, trends, grant opportunities, and institutional support (13:00 – 14:00, Pavilion 15, DIALOGOS Presentation Hall, in English). Immediately after, in the same venue, fellows Zornitsa Hristova (Tochitza Publishers) and Desislava Grozdanova (Fox Books), moderated by Desislava Zheleva (Colibri Publishing), will discuss children’s book production in Bulgaria. Their discussion will focus on current trends, opportunities for international cooperation, and incentives for improving reading skills (in English). 

The official opening of the Bulgarian National Stand will take place from 17:00 to 18:30 at Pavilion 13 (no. 127). The event will feature a greeting from the Bulgarian Minister of Culture, Nayden Todorov, and also speeches by Gergana Dimitrova, Chairperson of the Bulgarian Book Association, author Elena Alexieva, and translator Alexandra Ioannidou. Additionally, Iana Boukova will perform a poetry reading (In Bulgarian, with Greek interpretation). 

The day concludes with a discussion between authors Teodora Dimova and Lila Konomara, moderated by translator Zdravka Mihaylova (19:00 – 20:00, COSMOS Presentation Hall, Pavilion 14.1 (In Bulgarian, with Greek interpretation).

On Friday, May 8, illustrator Kapka Kaneva has prepared an exciting workshop for children aged 9 – 12 (10:00 – 11:00), while from 11:00 to 12:00 a workshop for children of the same age follows, with author and publisher Zornitsa Hristova (Pavilion 13 at the Bulgarian National Stand, no.127, in Bulgarian with Greek interpretation). 

At 16:00 – 17:00 at Pavilion 15, in the DIALOGOS Presentation Hall, translators Blagorodna Filevska-Panagou, Spyros N. Pappas, and Zdravka Mihaylova, moderated by Gergana Pancheva, Director of the Sofia Literary Agency, discuss Bulgarian literature translated into Greek: challenges, possibilities, and strategies (in English), while at 17:00 – 18:00 at the Bulgarian National Stand, author Ersi Sotiropoulou talks with her translator into Bulgarian, Marina Delivlaeva (in Greek). At 18:00 a discussion follows with authors Elena Alexieva and Iana Boukova about Female voices in contemporary literature (in Bulgarian with Greek interpretation), while at 19:00 authors Teodora Dimova, Todor P. Todorov, Rene Karabash, and Alexander Sekulov discuss Literature beyond borders. Moderated by Svetlozar Zhelev (in Bulgarian with Greek interpretation). 

On Friday night at 21:00 in the Dionysis Savvopoulos Presentation Hall (Pavilion 13), the Greek edition of Elena Alexieva‘s short story collection, The Interruption of Samsara (Vakxikon Publications), is presented. Discussing with the author are her translator into Greek, Blagorodna Filevska-Panagou, and author Georgia Makrogiorgou (in Bulgarian with Greek interpretation).

On Saturday, May 9, at 11:00, young readers will have the opportunity to enjoy at the Bulgarian National Stand the animated films by Penko and Sotir Gelev, “The Ballad of the Self-Proclaimed Knight Zelyazko and the Fire-Breathing Dragon Dimtcho’’ and “Viola’’ (in Bulgarian with English subtitles). 

At 12:00 in the same venue, authors Leonie Hodkevitch and Christos Hartomatsidis, moderated by Svetlozar Zhekov, discuss the topic Between two languages (in Bulgarian with Greek interpretation), while from 14:00 – 15:00 short films based on short stories by author and poet Yordanka Beleva will be screened (in Bulgarian with English subtitles). Continuing on the same theme, at 16:00 a discussion follows on Novels adapted for film and television, with the participation of authors Ina Valchanova, Rene Karabash, and Alexander Sekulov, moderated by Gergana Pancheva (in Bulgarian with Greek interpretation). 

The Greek edition of Ina Valchanova’s novel, “Island of Crash’’ (Vakxikon Publications), is presented at 18:00, also at the Bulgarian National Stand, with the participation of the author, the book’s translator into Greek Christos Hartomatsidis, and author Ilias Fragkakis (in Bulgarian with Greek interpretation), followed at 19:00 by a discussion with author Iana Boukova and poet Pavlina Marvin (in Greek). 

At 21:00 in the Dionysis Savvopoulos Presentation Hall (Pavilion 13), the Greek edition of Teodora Dimova’s novel, I Do Not Know You (Enastron Editions), is presented. The author discusses with journalist Giannis Kessopoulos, translator Blagorodna Filevska-Panagou, and publisher Efi Riza-Skyfa (in Bulgarian with Greek interpretation). 

On Sunday, May 10, from 10:00 – 11:00, the animated films for children “The Ballad of the Self-Proclaimed Knight Zelyazko and the Fire-Breathing Dragon Dimtcho’’ and “Viola” by Penko and Sotir Gelev will be screened again at the Bulgarian National Stand (in Bulgarian with English subtitles). 

At 11:00 in the Dionysis Savvopoulos Presentation Hall, the presentation of Rene Karabash’s collection of poetic prose in epistolary form, Omar’s Letters to His Future Wife (Metaixmio Publications), will take place. The book’s author discusses with author Kyriakos Charitos and translator Spyros N. Pappas (in Bulgarian with Greek interpretation). Immediately after, at 12:00, a discussion with author Alexander Sekulov and literary critic Svetlozar Zhelev follows at the Bulgarian National Stand (in Bulgarian with interpretation into Greek), while at 13:00 in the same venue, authors Todor P. Todorov and Christos Chomenidis discuss, moderated by Svetlozar Zhelev (in Bulgarian with Greek interpretation). 

Translator Vaitsa Chani – Moysidou talks about Bulgarian myths and fairy tales and the Thessaloniki Storytelling Club presents a wonderful Storytelling session at the Bulgarian National Stand at 15:00, while at 16:00 short films based on short stories by author and poet Yordanka Beleva will be screened (in Bulgarian with English subtitles). 

The programme of Bulgaria as the Guest of Honour closes with wonderful musical notes at the Closing Concert in the atmospheric Rotunda of St. George at 20:30. Featuring Svetlin Roussev – violin, the Frosch Quartet, and Viktor Trenev from Bulgaria. Soloists of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra also participate. The programme includes works by Pancho Vladigerov, Nikos Skalkottas, Camille Saint-Saëns, and others. 

Photos of the participants in the Guest of Honour Bulgaria programme can be found HERE. 

General photos can be found HERE. 

The complete programme of the 22nd TBF is posted on its website: thessalonikibookfair.gr/programme. Explore the sections and discover the events you wish to attend! Information and details about the event and all Press Releases can be found on the bilingual website thessalonikibookfair.gr, which, as the social media managed by HFBC, will be constantly updated and enriched. 

The Thessaloniki International Book Fair (TBF) is organized by the Hellenic Foundation for Books and Culture (HFBC) in collaboration with TIF–HELEXPO, Greek publishers, and the Municipality of Thessaloniki, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Region of Central Macedonia. It is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, within the framework of the ROP Central Macedonia 2021-2027. TBF is a member of the International Book Fairs Forum and the European Book Fairs Network ALDUS UP.