“There is nothing better than bad weather” is the title of a novel by Bogomil Raynov, rendered on the screen by film director Metodi Andonov. A title that could now sound like an invitation – to escape the December cold and gloom at the National Palace of Culture, and there, find the books we have been looking for. Because the National Palace of Culture is currently hosting the 50^th edition of the Sofia International Book Fair, mottoed “Creating stories. Creating history”, with the participation of more than 170 publishing houses.  

One of the first events, part of the Book Fair’s programme, was the award ceremony of the 7^th edition of the national poetry contest Unfamiliar Streets. Having started almost in jest, it now occupies a special place in the heart of the person who founded it – the popular Bulgarian singer Maria Mutafchieva.

“It all started in 2012, when writer and publisher Rumyana Emanuilidu persuaded me to publish my own school-time poems,” she says. “I was reluctant at first because I had never considered doing anything like that. When you write, and are at school, it is something very intimate and you never think you could share it with anyone else. All the more so that we had already released several musical albums by then, and all of a sudden – I go and release my school poetry. So, I said to myself – if I can do that, I should lend a helping hand to the people who started writing in their school age after me.”

The poetry contest is targeted at students from the 7^th to the 12^th grade, with prizes awarded in two age groups. Seven young poets received awards at this year’s edition of Unfamiliar Streets. One of them is Ognyan Iliev, who is in the 12^th grade at the National Secondary School of Ancient Languages and Culture. 

He came second in his age group, and was really excited to give his first interview – to Radio Bulgaria. The young poet has been writing for 6 months. He says his poems do not follow any specific direction:

“I write about the things I experience, the things I see and the things I want to see. I sent three poems, and the one that was chosen is called Window, maybe it is a little somber. Most of the time I am able to see the beautiful things in life, in the world around. But when I sit down to write poetry it is as if I am sharing something existential which people could perceive as somber.”

, who won third place at the contest in 2014, says that writing is a state of mind that never leaves you alone until you pick up the pen:

“You fall into a state in which you just want to write something, and it writes itself. What I am interested in are things like – the loneliness of my teenage years and all kinds of details around us.”

Even though she now works as a marketing coordinator at a pharmaceutical company, Martina is an Arabist, and she says translation is what appeals to her most.  

Zlatena Bozhkova took part in the first edition of the Unfamiliar Streets contest in 2012 when she was in the 8^th grade at the foreign language school Geo Milev in Dobrich. And she won first place – hands down.

“I sent Apostrophe, in which I apostrophize a poem by Violeta Hristova, in which she says that the world smells of nothing, only of cold and aether. I challenge that and say it actually smells of many nice things – that was when I won the first prize at the contest. That was a surprise, a pleasant surprise, because it is important to me.”

For Zlatena and her family, the woman who inspired the contest – Maria and her husband Miroslav Mutafchiev – are close friends, and their music is always playing in their home. That is why the girl says she hopes it will reach out to more people, and bring them energy and warmth during these dark December days.

More:

• Maria Mutafchieva-Mary: The most precious gift are the happy days with our nearest and dearest

Translated and posted by Milena Daynova

Photos courtesy of the participants, FB / Maria Mutafchieva (Mary)