Georgi Gospodinov

A poet, writer, and playwright, one of the most often translated Bulgarian authors, called “satirist by desperation”. His Natural Novel has been translated into German, English, French, Italian, and Polish. Natural Novel was praised by such magazines as The New Yorker, Guardian, or Times. It was recognised as "funny and erudite, arrogant and sophisticated, and first and foremost splendid in every respect and innovative in its form" (Livres Hebdo). Gospodinov has published four volumes of poetry awarded with Bulgarian literary awards. His collection of short stories And Other Stories in which "The Western Metaphysics meet the European Metaphysics of the Orient" (World Literature Today) has been translated into many languages. Gospodinov’s latest book, a novel entitled The Physics of Sadness was the best-selling book of 2011 in Bulgaria. His works – a play entitled D.J., Natural Novel, and the tome of short stories And Other Stories (nominated for the Angelus Award 2012) were published in Polish by the Pogranicze publishing house. As a guest of the Conrad Festival, he took part in the meeting on Sunday, 28th October. Picture: Svoboda Tzekova