A forum in Sofia brings together translators of Bulgarian literature

The literary forum “Translating Bulgarian Literature vol. 2” will gather translators working from Bulgarian into English, Czech, Italian, Romanian, and Spanish.

The event is scheduled for March 21 at 6:30 PM in Sofia, the organizers from the House for Literature and Translation announced. The event is part of the Spring Literary Translation Studio program organized by the House.

The discussion will be moderated by Gergana Pancheva from Literary Agency Sofia. Participants include Angela Rodel, David Bernstein, Danilo Manera, Catalina Puiu, and Maria Vutova. The translators will share their experiences with the Bulgarian language, their translations, their favorite authors, and how Bulgarian literature is received in their respective countries.

Angela Rodel is a translator from Bulgarian into English. She is a recipient of international awards such as NEA and PEN. Nine Bulgarian novels in her translation have been published in the United States and the United Kingdom. Her translation of “Physics of Sorrow” by Georgi Gospodinov won the ATSEEEL Award in 2016, and her translation of Gospodinov's “Time Shelter” won the International Booker Prize in 2023.

David Bernstein is a translator and lecturer who translates from Bulgarian into Czech. His translations include works by Svetoslav Minkov, Teodora Dimova, Alek Popov, and Georgi Gospodinov. He is the recipient of the Bulgarian Translators’ Community Award (2016) and the prestigious Czech Josef Jungmann Prize (2025) for his translation of “Time Shelter”.

Danilo Manera is a professor of Spanish literature, writer, critic, journalist, and translator. He graduated in Slavic Studies from the University of Pisa. In 1984, he received the Leone Traverso Prize for young translators for his translation of short stories by Yordan Radichkov. In Italy, he has also translated authors such as Emilian Stanev, Nikolay Kanchev, Ivan Kulekov, and Maxim Maximov.

Catalina Puiu is an associate professor in the Department of Russian and Slavic Philology at the University of Bucharest and head of the Bulgarian Language and Literature section. She translates Bulgarian literature into Romanian. Among her translations are “Natural Novel” and “Physics of Sorrow” by Georgi Gospodinov, as well as books by Boyan Biolchev and Hristo Boychev.

Maria Vutova is a Hispanist and translator with a master’s degree in translation and a PhD in the anthropology of American cultures. She translates Bulgarian authors into Spanish, including Georgi Gospodinov, Zdravka Evtimova, and Emine Sadkı. Upcoming publications in Spain include “The Case of Cem” by Vera Mutafchieva and “Ballad for Georg Henig” by Viktor Paskov. Recently, she won the Spanish award for best translation of 2025 for her work on the novel “The Gardener and Death” by Georgi Gospodinov.

Edited by Miglena Ivanova