News
Meet the nominated authors for the prizes in the 10-th literature contest “Razvitie”
08.05.2018
We present (in alphabetical order) the seven nominatedauthors, for the prizes of the 10th Anniversary Literature Contest for unpublished Bulgarian novels "Razvitie".
The award ceremony and award ceremony will be on May 10-th at 6 pm at the Central Military Club. The jury, consisting of Prof. Ivaylo Znepolski, Assoc. Prof. Boyko Penchev and Georgi Gospodinov, will then announce the names of the winners of the Grand and the Special Prizes of the Competition.
Victor Stoyanov, "The Tower of Lies"
Born 1987, Master in Economics, "International Project Management", UNWE. He works at the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, Control of European projects under cross-border cooperation programs.
He writes his fist short stories at the age of eight-nine years old. Humorous, "Bai Ganyo" style. Short episodes inspired by the adventures of the street and collected in a notebook.
At ten, he started writing a book-game, his favorite genre at that time.
In high school he deals mainly with poetry. In the 10-th and 11-th grade, he composes and writes the lyrics of about 40 home recordings taped into 3 own hip-hop albums. Some of them he performs live at school festivals in Vidin.
In 12-th grade he takes part in a scriptwriter contest at the Slavi’s Show with some short humorous stories, which were later told by the show’s host, in the form of jokes.
He has an unpublished poem "7 old sin, 7 new ones and 7 ways to be human". Up to his 22-nd anniversary, hestarts over 10 different projects, butdoes not end any of them. Among them are scenarios for series, novels, historical novel, psychological thriller.
He is engaged in his job to analyze the public needs over the next 6-7 years. During this period, he accumulates information by a first hand or from his friends and relatives, about the mechanisms of politics, corruption, and the economic interests of different participants in the public life. He decides that dry representation of this information does not touch the people and is not enough to provoke the necessary changes. He begins to write a trilogy that views it all through the point of view of different layers of society. How are the news, effecting the individual from a personal point of view and what about the things that happen “behind the scenes”? What actually is behind the scenes of the public theater?
Desislava Sheytanova, Three for Happiness
Born in 1983 in Varna. Bachelor of Public Administration and Master of Business Administration from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski ", Sofia.
In 2013, her debut novel "Diagnosis: Lost" won the annual competition for young authors organized by“Hermes” Publishing House.
Participant in the Sozopol Seminar on Creative Writing organized by the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation (in the 2014 edition).
In the spring of 2017, co-authored by Theo Bukovski, she released her second novel "9.8 on the pain scale" (published by “Lexicon”), and later in the same year, the first part of the fantasy series "The Descents of Atlantis" – "The Light ofAtantis."
She lives in Sofia with her husband and works in a large Bulgarian bank. She also fluently speaks English and French.
Diana Petrova “The Water Tower”
She graduated “Creative Writing” at St. Kliment Ohridski University and joined the writing circles with three books for children, two of which became bestsellers on the Bulgarian market - "Wise Fairy Tales" with four double editions and "Tales for the Whole Family" with two editions. Followed by "The Double Planet - Tales of Adopted and Adopters," which became a material for therapeutic queries by various organizations and a dissertation work. The authorfrequently visits schools tomeet with both younger and middle school students, and this year she won the National Prize “Biserche Vulshebno” (Magical Bead) - the only one in which children vote.
Her novels “Anna”, “Sinisteria” and “Lilith” are gaining popularity, with partsof“Synesthesia” being published in three international journals and a complete translation of the work in English. “Lilith” is currently part of the list of obligatory literature in the “Creative Writing”program at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski".
Petrova has been a listener in the Bulgarian Society of Analytical Psychology “Jung” for seven years. In 2017 she was invited to open the scientific project “Dreams in Bulgarian Verbal Traditions”, a program by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences with her lecture “The Healing Power of Scary Girl Dreams”, which was also based on a true story and published in the journal “Free Poetic Society”.
Dimitar Todorov, „National Treasure“
He was born in 1974 in Vidin, under the astrological sign of Scorpio. He graduated with history from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Over the years, the history becomes just a hobby for him, now he is earning his living with service in the Bulgarian Army.
About 10 years ago he funded his own publication of a book with criminal stories called "Military Investigators". He gifts most of the issued 50 books to friends. At roughly the same time, he writes the novel with which he is applying to this year's “Razvitie” Literature Contest. He realizes that it is very difficult to publish, distribute and sell books in Bulgaria, even more so as an unknown author. He shares that these difficulties almost kill his desire for writing.
He writes the novel "The National Treasure" with the desire for it to be fun and enjoyable to read and with the aim to create fascinating and unloading read. Somewhat it is also written due to his national pride after an American film with this name was released in the cinemas. He decides that in our lands, with civilizations, which lived here for thousands of years, there are enough treasures to be sought after and to inspire someone to write a book.
Dobromir Baichev, „The Clay King“
Born in 1976 in Lyaskovets (Veliko Turnovo Region). But lives in Sofia. "The Clay King" will be his first published book. Graduated in 2002 - Bachelor's degree in "Cinema and TV Directing", New Bulgarian University.
Since 2003 he has been working as a screenwriter for various TV productions - "Gospodari na efira", "Pulna Ludnitsa", "The Comics", "The Nude Truth", "Sports Fever", "National Tourism Specifics", "Speaking Heads" and others.
2017 - finalist at JAMESONFIRSTSHOT - International Film Script Competition (done in English language). The finalists are 20 - from 2200 scripts from around the world - and selected by the American production company TriggerStreetProductions (producers of "HouseofCards", "Social Network", "Captain Phillips", "Fifty Gray Shades", etc.)
2017 - Screenwriter - "A Praise for the Seminar" - documentary about Veliko Tarnovo University (broadcasted on BNT1)
2014 - screenwriter / director - feature film "Cyprian Prayers" - a selection of SCREAMFEST, Los Angeles
2012 - Screenwriter of the Law Firm “Law firmMittrani” - TV7
2000, 2003 - won two national screenwriting contests. After the second (for "Gospodari na efira") he started working as a professional screenwriter.
Ivan Stoilov “Extreme – a rock story with a bus”
Born in 1971 in the town of Dimitrovgrad. He graduated from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" in 1994.
His first job is as a corn seller. Between 1991-st-1996-th he worked as a journalist in “Maritsa Press Group”. He initiated the first series of interviews with Georgi Dzhagarov after the 10-th of November, in which the poet reveals the truth about the "tank" replica of the former president, Peter Mladenov.
In the period 1997-th –2008-th he joined his profession as an investigator, with his activity as lecturer at the National Institute of Justice and his position as a part-time assistant at the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski ". He has specialized in international criminal justice law within the EU, in the Netherlands. Since 2008-th, he has been working as a criminal judge.
He Co-authors two professional guides, made for the training of law jurors on criminal cases
"Extreme - a rock story with a bus" is his first novel. At this stage, he is the author of numerous stories and publications in the free Internet space, and in particular in the site “Bomberang”.
Hobbies - rock music (keen melomaniac) and football (TV fan). Likesto travel, but does not like melon and gin.
Strahil Subev, “Then and Forever”
Born in Varna in 1985. He graduated high school for languages with English and German; Bachelor of European Studies at Sofia University, as well as Egyptology at the New Bulgarian University. He also studied Archeology for 2 years. Works as ProcessTrainer for foreign companies.
He deeply believes that any knowledge is useful and that there is no needles one. Art, in any form, takes up a large part of his life for a number of reasons, including the family environment. He believes that through art, man defeats the fleshliness, creating something from nothing.
In his spare time he plays guitar, piano, draws and writes. Collects gramophone record plates as a hobby. He has several published stories in various magazines and literature collections. His interests also include ancient history, history of music and art, astrophysics and philosophy.
The thing, he cannot live without is a book in his hands and music in his ears.