Absorbed in our daily hectic life, we often do not notice the beautiful things that are all around us. A sunny and smiling woman close to us is versed in the art of creating beauty with words. "With her verses Maria Doneva brings energy and pacifies," her fans say. To all of them the poetess has gifted her new book, "A handful of shiny cherries." But before we tell you about it, some background about the author:

Born in Stara Zagora, she began to write in her childhood years. As a student she participated in literary circles and was winning contests. She graduated in Bulgarian Philology at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". Maria Doneva has behind her back an enviable number of books. From the beginning of her career Maria Doneva stayed true to poetry. "The poems have the advantage of being relatively short and can be learnt by heart. I repeat them to myself many times until I am sure that every word is in its right place," the author explains and adds: "If I have to write a story or novel, it would mean my mind would be absorbed in one activity for a long time”.

Now Maria Doneva works at the Geo Milev Drama Theatre in Stara Zagora. Furthermore, she cooperates with the psychiatric ward in the town of Radnevo for seven years. There she makes amateur productions of plays under the program for art therapy, and actors in them are patients of the hospital. "We are performing works of the world classics, as well as by Bulgarian authors. We last played the Noble Spaniard by Somerset Maugham and now on February 26, we are about to do a tour in Stara Zagora", the poet says.

There is an indissoluble link between poetry and music and with Maria it is reflected in her love of jazz. Here is what the poetess says about their collaboration with singer Marina Gospodinova, trumpeter Wreaths Blagoev and pianist Antoni Donchev:

"Our project "Jazz and Poetry" has existed for four years. It consists of the following - I write lyrics in Bulgarian for world jazz standards. These are very well-known and loved songs in Portuguese, Spanish and other languages ​​in the original. Then we hold concerts in which I have the pleasure to participate. I think there are no good songs that don’t tell about love. This feeling needs to flow from somewhere. The song is a very beautiful form for sharing love in all its dimensions."

If you have not previously read poems by Maria Doneva, then her new collection of poems "A handful of shiny cherries" is a good reason to do so. Why has Maria chosen this title?

"I love cherries, they are sweet and ripen in the spring. Their colour is bright, they are delicious and can be shared. I connect them with always pleasant things."

The poetry volume is divided into four parts, one for each season.

"I organized the book in this way, because both in my life and in my poems I always look with eyes wide open. I watch the seasons change. Everything is changing and this is the biggest comfort to people. For whatever happens to you, time passes. And nature continues to revive. If we are part of such a beautiful world, then we are a little beautiful ourselves. In winter I accumulated sadness, so I started the book with this season. I wanted the reader to gradually feel enlightened and finally close the book feeling more or less healed."

English version: Rossitsa Petcova