MIRELA IVANOVA AND GYORD SONDI ARE THE NOMINEES FOR THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL “PENYO PENEV” LITERARY AWARDS FOR 2026
Mirela Ivanova and Gyord Sondi are the laureates proposed for the National and International “Penyo Penev” Literary Awards for 2026. This was announced at a press conference today by the chairman of the selection committee, Prof. Dr. Vladimir Atanasov - lecturer at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Faculty of Slavic Philology. The committee includes also Prof. Dr. Plamen Doinov - rector of New Bulgarian University, lecturer in history and theory of literature, academic and creative writing and laureate of the National “Penyo Penev” Award for 2022; Zdravka Evtimova - writer and translator, lecturer at Sofia University in creative writing; Valentina Terzieva - director of the City Library "Penyo Penev"; Antoaneta Stancheva - director of the Historical Museum – Dimitrovgrad & the House-Museum "Penyo Penev"; Diana Doncheva - director of the Directorate "European and National Programs and Projects, Humanitarian Activities" and Lora Yoncheva - teacher of Bulgarian language and literature.
"The "Penyo Penev" Award is a highly respected forum. It has been awarded since 1970 for contribution to Bulgarian poetry and literature. This year, seven authors were nominated, among whom the committee settled on one name. This undisputed laureate was announced after convincing debates and arguments, so that we all solidified with the name of the Bulgarian poet Mirela Ivanova. Her runners-up were Rene Karabash and Georgi Borisov," said Prof. Atanasov when announcing the decision.
"The awarding of the great poet, linguist, and Bulgarian scholar from Hungary, Gyord Sondi, with the international "Penyo Penev" award has a different logic. This is the logic of connecting Bulgarian literature and Bulgarian poetry with the European world. Behind his name, hundreds of poems translated by Bulgarian poets stand, also poetry collections in Hungarian written by him, and two poetry collections written by him directly in Bulgarian. There are also translations of "Notes on the Bulgarian Uprisings" into Hungarian, of "Bai Ganyo" by Aleko Konstantinov, of Bulgarian Renaissance prose, as well as dozens of poetry collections by Bulgarian poets among them is Hristo Botev.", added Prof. Doinov.
The National Literary Award "Penyo Penev" is awarded to Bulgarian creators for high achievements and contribution to the development of Bulgarian poetry once every two years. The International Award is presented every four years to foreign authors for high creative achievements and contribution to the development of world poetry. Among the nominees for the national award this year are the names of Ivan Suhivanov, Atanas Kapralov, Todor Bilchev, Usin Kerim (posthumously), Georgi Borisov, and Rene Karabash. The proposals are from various creative associations and unions, regional libraries and other cultural institutes. The awarding of the national and international literary awards "Penyo Penev" is carried out by a decision of the Municipal Council and is presented by the Mayor of Dimitrovgrad Municipality at an official ceremony during the Days of Poetry. The laureates of the National and International Awards receive a diploma, a plastic sign and a cash prize.
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