Georgi Gospodinov (Harriman Writer in Residence, Fall 2022, and winner of the 2023 International Booker Prize) is the subject of an essay in The New York Times by Thomas Rogers (July 5, 2023). As Rogers writes, the Booker Prize “has focused an international spotlight on Gospodinov, 55, but it also represents a coming-out moment for Bulgarian literature, which is little-known outside the country.”
Angela Rodel — Gospodinov’s longtime English translator, who shared the International Booker Prize with the author — said that the novelist has set himself apart from other Bulgarian writers through his “whimsical” tone, as well as his international focus. “Time Shelter,” she said, explores his experiences in relation to the universal human condition and “addresses contemporary Bulgaria as part of Europe.” She added that it was hard to “overstate” the significance of the International Booker for the country’s literature scene. “It’s recognition of a small language, and a small culture, on a world stage,” she said. “It’s overdue.”
