Excerpts from 22 books representing 20 countries were read at 22 venues across Sofia on Thursday evening during the 15th edition of Night of Literature.
Two Bulgarian books featured in this year’s selection: The Artists’ Borough. The Performers’ Borough and Adagio for Maria.
At Sofia Municipality House, authors Viktor Topalov and Nikol Valcheva read from their joint book, The Artists’ Borough. The Performers’ Borough. It brings together nearly 50 stories about the lives and work of Bulgarian painters, sculptors and theatre figures who lived and worked in Sofia in the late 19th and first half of the 20th century.
Asked what Night of Literature meant to them, Topalov described it as another welcome opportunity for Bulgarians to show their love of literature and books. “Sometimes we forget that, yet literature is one of the best ways for us to connect, because we seem to forget our differences,” Topalov added.
Both were taking part as authors for the first time, though Valcheva said she had attended earlier editions. “It is always very exciting to have the chance to hear excerpts from books you have not yet read, which somehow draw you in and make you want to hear more. I really enjoy hearing authors read other writers’ books,” Valcheva added.
Journalist and writer Maria Kasimova-Moase did just that, reading from Georgi Bardarov’s novel Adagio for Maria at the 19:42 Art Zone of the Krastyo Sarafov National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts.
“Maria is a title, not just a name. So being Maria is a great responsibility,” Kasimova-Moase told BTA. She said the chosen passage did not give away the plot but created a sense of uncertainty that encouraged listeners to discover the full story. “The idea is not to retell the novel but to offer a hint, to create a feeling, what is known in literature as suspense, that makes you want to read on,” Kasimova-Moase added.
Published by Musagena in 2025, Adagio for Maria explores love and individual lives against a backdrop of historical events. Bardarov won the European Union Prize for Literature in 2021 for his novel Absolvo te.
During the three-hour event, audiences at venues across Sofia could also hear excerpts from works by Robert Seethaler, Stefan Hertmans, Verena Kessler, Ersi Sotiropoulos, Olga Ravn, Bibi Dumon Tak, Sally Rooney, David Toscana, Stefania Auci, Anne Frank, Samantha Harvey, Julia Fiedorczuk, Kica Kolbe, Gabriela Babnik, Maksym Kryvtsov-Dali, Laszlo Krasznahorkai, Katja Kettu, Petr Sestak, Robert Walser and Jonas Hassen Khemiri.
This year’s Night of Literature concludes with a literary walk through Sofia led by writer and translator Vladimir Poleganov. Organized for the fourth consecutive year by the Read Sofia Foundation, the walk is part of Sofia Municipality’s 2026 Calendar of Cultural Events.
Sofia’s Night of Literature Features 22 Books from 20 Countries THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-01 20:59:00
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