TOP 100: VAGABOND FICTION

The first to feature was Kapka Kassabova, the Bulgarian-born author living in Scotland, and Street Without a Name, her brilliant memoir for childhood under Socialism and revisiting modern Bulgaria.Since its first issue, Vagabond has been the only media introducing contemporary Bulgarian literature and writers to English-speaking audience. The first to feature was Kapka Kassabova, the Bulgarian-born author living in Scotland, and Street Without a Name, her brilliant memoir for childhood under Socialism and revisiting modern Bulgaria.

In 2008, Vagabond became the partner of the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation, created by the bestselling author of The Historian in a bid to promote Bulgarian literature abroad. The EKF organises annual creative writing seminars in Sozopol, gathering Bulgarian and foreign authors who are then published in Vagabond. The foundation, together with Open Letter Books, also publishes Bulgarian authors in the US.

Here is an alphabetical list of the authors, who you have read in Vagabond:

Albena Stambolova, Alek Popov (One of Bulgaria's most loved writers, he is the author of Mission London, 2001, which many claim is the funnies contemporary Bulgarian novel. Its movie adaptation, in 2010, became a blockbuster. Popov's latest book, Sisters Palaveevi in the Storm of History, 2013, is a funny account on the Communist guerrilla movement), Alexander Sekulov, Alexander Shpatov, Alexandra Chaushova, Anna Kovatcheva, Anthony Georgieff, Aurora Brackett, Bistra Velichkova, Cab Tran, Carin Clevidence, Charles Conley, Christopher Buxton, Christos Chartomatsidis, Delaney Nolan, Dena Popova, Diana Spechler, Dimana Trankova, Eireene Nealand, Ekaterina Karabasheva, Elena Alexieva, Emil Andreev, Evgeniy Cherepov, Galin Nikiforov, Garrard Conley, Garth Greenwell, Georgi Etimov, Georgi Gospodinov (arguably the best-known contemporary Bulgarian author, he published his breakthrough novel Natural Novel in 1999. The book is still the most translated piece of Bulgarian fiction since 1989. Gospodinov's second novel, Physics of Sorrow, 2013, was nominated for four major European literary awards), Georgi Tenev, Hristo Karastoyanov, Iana Boukova, Iren Levi, Irina Papancheva, Ivan Dimitrov, Ivan Landzhev, Ivo Siromahov, J.T. Bushnell, Jack Harte, Jane E. Martin, Jeremiah Chamberlin, John Hamilton, John Struloeff, Kapka Kassabova, Kathy Flann, Kelly Luce, Kodi Scheer, Krassimir Damianov, Kristin Dimitrova, Lana Santoni, Lee Romer Kaplan, Maria Dobrevska, Maria Doneva, Marianna Georgieva, Mariko Nagai, Maya Sloan, Michael Hinken, Michael Hyde, Milen Ruskov (his second novel, Thrown Into Nature was published in the US by Open Letter Books in 2011, and his latest book, The Heights, a story about the Revival Period written in a 19th Century dialect of the Bulgarian, became a slow-burning hit and secured Ruskov the Literature Award of the European Union in 2014), Molly Antopol (in 2013, she received the award of 5 under 35 by the National Book Foundation, and the next year she lived up to the expectations. In 2014, her debut story collection UnAmericans was nominated for the National Book Award), Momchil Nikolov, Nadya Radulova, Natalie Bakopoulos, Nikolay Boykov, Nikolay Fenersky, Nikolay Petkov, Palmi Ranchev, Paul Vidich, Paulina Petrova, Petar Denchev, Petja Heinrich, Peycho Kanev, Philip Anastassiu, Rayko Baychev, Sonia Nikolova, Stanislava Ciurinskiene, Stanislava Kara, Steven Wingate, Stoil Roshkev, Stoyan Nenov, Svetla Damyanovska, Rita Ciresi, Todor P. Todorov, Travis Holland, Valery Stefanov, Vesselin Stoyanov, Virginia Zaharieva (her bestselling Nine Rabbits, 2008, was published in the UK and the US with the help of the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation), Vladimir Zarev, Vladislav Hristov, Yana Punkina, Yanitsa Radeva, Zachary Karabashliev (his debut novel 18% Grey became an instant bestseller in Bulgaria, in 2008. He is now working for one of the biggest publishing houses, Ciela), Zdravka Evtimova.