List of notable or famous poets from Bulgaria, with bios and photos, including the top poets born in Bulgaria and even some popular poets who immigrated to Bulgaria. If you're trying to find out the names of famous Bulgarian poets then this list is the perfect resource for you. These poets are among the most prominent in their field, and information about each well-known poet from Bulgaria is included when available.
List includes Ivan Vazov, Pavel Tsvetkov, more.
This historic poets from Bulgaria list can help answer the questions "Who are some Bulgarian poets of note?" and "Who are the most famous poets from Bulgaria?" These prominent poets of Bulgaria may or may not be currently alive, but what they all have in common is that they're all respected Bulgarian poets.
Use this list of renowned Bulgarian poets to discover some new poets that you aren't familiar with. Don't forget to share this list by clicking one of the social media icons at the top or bottom of the page. {#nodes}
Elisaveta Bagryana (Bulgarian: Елисавета Багряна) (16 April, 1893 – 23 March, 1991), born Elisaveta Lyubomirova Belcheva (Bulgarian: Елисавета Любомирова Белчева), was a Bulgarian poet who wrote her first verses while living with her family in Veliko Tarnovo in 1907–08. She, along with Dora Gabe (1886–1983), is considered one of the "first ladies of Bulgarian women's literature". She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature three times.
Georgi Gospodinov (Bulgarian: Георги Господинов; born January 7, 1968 in Yambol) is a poet, writer and playwright based in Sofia, Bulgaria. One of the most translated Bulgarian authors after 1989, he has four poetry books awarded with national literary prizes. First of them, Lapidarium (1992), won the National Debut Prize. Volumes of his selected poetry came out in German, Portuguese, Czech, Macedonian.
Gospodinov became internationally known by his Natural novel, which was published in 21 languages, including English (Dalkey Archive Press, 2005), German, French, Spanish, Italian, etc. The New Yorker described it as an “anarchic, experimental debut”, according to The Guardian, it is “both earthy and intellectual”, Le Courrier (Geneve) calls it “a machine for stories.”
And Other Stories (2001), collection of short stories, came out in German, French, English, Italian and was longlisted for Frank O'Connor Award. This is the book that contains the story "Blind Vaysha", on which is based the short animation film of the same name (dir. Theodore Ushev, NFB and ARTE), an OSCAR nominee for 2017.
Gospodinov has written also two plays, screenplays for short feature films, among which is Omelette (4.44’; Honorable Mention at the Sundance Film Festival 2009) He is co-author of an art graphic novel, The Eternal Fly (2010, with the artist N. Toromanov).
His second novel, The Physics of Sorrow (2012), won three national awards for best fiction 2012-2013, among which the National Award for Best Novel of the Year 2013. Physics of Sorrow is published in Italian, German, Serbian, and in English in the US by Open Letter Books. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung praised the novel as “a gorgeous work that should definitely be read”. According to Neue Zurcher Zeitung “with Physics of Sorrow Gospodinov launches not only the Bulgarian literature but also himself in the European writers’ first league.”
In 2014, the Italian edition of the novel, Fisica della malinconia, Voland Edizioni, was shortlisted for Premio Strega Europeo and Premio Gregor von Rezzori [1]; the German edition, Physik der Schwermut, Droschl Verlag, was a finalist for Internationaler Literaturpreis - Haus der Kulturen der Welt [2] and Brücke Berlin Literatur- und Übersetzerpreis.
From January to June 2019, Gospodinov is "writer in residence" of the Literaturhaus Zurich and the PWG Foundation in Zurich.
Hristo Smirnenski (Bulgarian: Христо Смирненски), born Hristo Izmirliev, (September 17, 1898, OS - June 18, 1923) was a Bulgarian poet and prose writer who joined the Bulgarian Communist Party and whose works championed socialist ideals in a light-hearted and humane style. He died at the age of 25, leaving a well regarded body of work produced over a mature career of only three years.
Ivan Minchov Vazov (Bulgarian: Иван Минчов Вазов) (June 27, 1850 OS – September 22, 1921) was a Bulgarian poet, novelist and playwright, often referred to as "the Patriarch of Bulgarian literature". He was born in Sopot, a town in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria (then part of the Ottoman Empire). The works of Ivan Vazov reveal two historical epochs - the Bulgarian Renaissance and the Post-Liberation (from Ottoman Empire rule) epoch. Ivan Vazov holds the highest honorary title of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Academician. He acted as Education and People Enlightenment Minister from September 7, 1897 until January 30, 1899, representing the People's Party.
Nikola Yonkov Vaptsarov (Bulgarian: Никола Йонков Вапцаров; 7 December 1909 – 23 July 1942) was a Bulgarian poet, communist and revolutionary. Working most of his life as a machinist, he only wrote in his spare time. Despite the fact that he only ever published one poetry book, he is considered one of the most important Bulgarian poets. Because of his underground communist activity against the government of Boris III and the German troops in Bulgaria, Vaptsarov was arrested, tried, sentenced and executed the same night by a firing squad.
Pavel Chavdarov Tsvetkov (Bulgarian: Павел Чавдаров Цветков) (born March 23, 1971) is a Bulgarian poet and writer, best known for his "Desperate Love" Book of Poems and the essay "Exules Suo Voluntate: Roots and Fruits of Bulgarian National Nihilism".
