Nikola Vaptsarov (1909–1942)
Marine engineer, poet and communist. His only collection, Motor Songs („Моторни песни“), came out in 1940. He was shot in Sofia in 1942. His last poem was written hours before the execution and is among the most powerful texts in Bulgarian poetry.
Blaga Dimitrova (1922–2003)
Poet, novelist and, late in life, Vice President of Bulgaria (1992–1993). Her poems about personal freedom and the right to one's own thoughts became especially widely read in the 1980s.
Hristo Fotev (1934–2002)
The poet of the sea from Burgas. His love poems are recited on the Burgas beach more often than the weather forecast.
Other Names Worth Reading
- Valeri Petrov – poet, playwright, translator of Shakespeare. Author of Five Tales („Пет приказки“) and screenwriter of Knight Without Armor („Рицар без броня“).
- Konstantin Pavlov – gloomy, grotesque, with plenty of black humour.
- Ivan Dinkov – the village and time in crystalline verse.
- Boris Hristov – a contemporary classic, calm and deep.
- Georgi Gospodinov – yes, he began as a poet. Lapidarium („Лапидариум“) and The Cherry Tree of a Nation („Черешата на един народ“) show that the novelist was a poet first.
In Bulgaria almost everyone has written at least one poem, usually at the age of 16, usually about someone who never read it. That is why poets here have a large and understanding audience.
Read the full texts (in Bulgarian): Anthology: Nikola Vaptsarov