Humour and Satire

Aleko Konstantinov (1863–1897)

Bay Ganyo („Бай Ганьо“) is the most famous Bulgarian literary character – a rose-oil merchant who travels around Europe and behaves as if he were at home everywhere. Many say that Bay Ganyo is dead. Others meet him every day at the airport. Aleko also wrote feuilletons and the travel book “To Chicago and Back” („До Чикаго и назад“).

Chudomir (1890–1967)

His real name was Dimitar Chorbadzhiyski. A painter and writer from Kazanlak, he writes about the people of his region with endless good nature. The collections “Our Folks” („Нашенци“) and “I'm Not One of Them” („Не съм от тях“) are ideal for reading aloud – especially at family gatherings.

Radoy Ralin (1923–2004)

The poet of the epigram and the sharp pun. His collection “Hot Peppers” („Люти чушки“) (1968) was stopped by the censors – the best advertising a satirist's book can get.

Stanislav Stratiev (1941–2000)

A playwright and storyteller of the absurdity of everyday life. The play “The Roman Bath” („Римска баня“) – about an apartment under which an ancient bath is discovered – is the Bulgarian version of “How Bureaucracy Defeated Archaeology”.

Folk Humour

Hitar Petar – the eternal trickster of folk tales, who always outwits the rich man, the priest and the judge. For him and his rival Nasreddin Hodja, see the “Fun Facts” part.