But Ivo also suffered from a tumor. After four brain surgeries, his body was still battling a serious illness that was causing new tumors under Ivo’s skull. However, quite early in his adolescence, he discovered a way to fight back: by writing fiction.
“I composed my first short story on a tablet while I was undergoing a medical exam in Germany. I wrote with a lot of fear,” Ivo shared in a interview for Bulgarian national television. “And then, once we got home, I continued to work on a typewriter every day, all summer. Since I got there, I told myself that my book should be published without worries or risks. And people would like it, especially since I’m only 14 years old. I usually don’t realize what I’m doing when I’m sitting at my laptop and writing… And I sometimes try to take a break, but I can’t.
Ivo’s mother, herself a painter of Eastern Orthodox icons from the small Bulgarian town of Radomir, explains his daily life: “After his daily detoxification, he takes the time to read a book, prepares his lessons for the next day , then written to at least 2000 words! And then we also take a family walk. For a teenager, this sounds like a full-time job.
Ivo published his first book, “Friends Die Together,” in 2016. Since then, volume after volume has continued to come out, and today he is an accomplished young writer with a total of seven collections with short stories.
Ivo Christov’s literary achievements are an encouraging sign in a decade when many young Bulgarians seem to be losing interest in books. If screens of all kinds – cinemas, televisions, laptops, tablets or smartphones – catch the eye of a emerging generation, it is rare to observe teenagers or young adults reading a book in a park.
Book aisle
Apparently, all hope is not lost. This summer, the Bulgarian Book Association is organizing book fairs in Gabrovo, Plovdiv, Varna and Sofia. The latest 11th edition of its annual “Book Alley” was organized in the most important pedestrian street of Vitosha and in one of the most visited parks of the country’s capital. It was a massive street exhibition, hosting 144 publishing houses for a week.
The literary festival was officially opened with a speech by Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov. Following the success of the Bulgarian Book Association’s book fairs, national cultural institutions launched a new program to encourage reading, called #causeLITERATY. One of its goals is to promote Sofia’s candidacy to be recognized as a World Book Capital by UNESCO in two years. (Currently, recognition is held by Accra in Ghana for 2023 and Strasbourg in France for 2024.)
Writers
Recently, Bulgarian writers have received much acclaim locally and internationally. The best known is Georgi Gospodinov. In 2021 he received the European Strega Prize for the Italian translation of his book “Time Shelter”. And in 2023, the English translation of the same book (by Angela Rodel) became the first Bulgarian-language novel to be nominated and win the International Booker Prize. In April, the newspaper “La Repubblica” described Gospodinov as “a Proust from the East”.
A number of contemporary Bulgarian writers have had their work translated into various languages. Besides Gospodinov, the first decades of the 21st century saw international publications by authors like Alek Popov, Deyan Enev, Zachari Karabashliev, Kristin Dimitrova, Milen Ruskov, Kalin Terziyski, Zdravka Evtimova, among others. To the mix of European literary heritage, the contribution of these storytellers adds a rich cultural tapestry.
Theology
Beyond the realm of fiction, several Bulgarian theologians were invited to contribute to Langham’s recent publication “Central and Eastern European Bible Commentary”, a valuable work. reviewed by CNE.news earlier this summer. Dr. Tchavdar Hadjiev, Dr. Tanya Petrova, Dr. Ventsislav Stoikova, Dr. Nadya Stoikova and Desislava Todorova made valuable theological contributions to this edition.
Balkan Forum
Convinced that writing should be nurtured and encouraged, the European division of Media Associates International (MAI) is organizing a Balkan Forum for writers and content creators. The event takes place this week, September 14-16, 2023.
The MAI Europe Balkan Forum also brings together writers and publishers from other countries, including the Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. (This is why I mention Balkan Plus.) Its vision is to explore various aspects of training and practicing the art of writing and to generate warm connections between Christians who understand the revolutionary role of communication in this contemporary world.
Media Associates International is a global ministry founded to “satisfy the world’s hunger for print,” according to its website. They organized a highly anticipated event called LittWorld. With its partners, the ministry aims to “empower publishers and writers around the world to create excellent content that enriches the Church and influences society.”
THE MAI European Division began in 1990 and, over the past thirty years, has delivered training events in over 20 countries across the continent. In an interview for “Protestante Digital” and Evangelical focus, Anna Shirochenskaya, one of the organizers of the event, placed specific emphasis on several areas of MAI-Europe’s values: understanding that each country has its local expression of faith which reflects its history, mentality and worship practices ; promote local communities of Christian content creators; foster collaboration and knowledge exchange.
THE Balkan Forum this week brings together around thirty participants and presents speakers such as Svetlana Karoleva and myself, Vlady Raichinov (Bulgaria), Anna Shirochenskaya (Russia, Spain), Ramon Rocha III (USA, Philippines), Janet Wilson (United Kingdom), Arie de Pater (Belgium). Topics include: “Identity Check: Writers Ready for the Lord,” “Decluttering Your Desk and Your Thinking,” “Finding Your Voice to Share the Good News,” “Creating Content is a Solitary Business” and “Speaking the language of the next generation”. The event will include a panel discussion, workshops, a game night and a storytelling dinner.
Propaganda
Christian writers are well aware of their responsibility in a time when the global media is increasingly filled with superficial articles, fake news, one-sided agendas and political propaganda. Of course, all societies would be delighted to see young men like Ivo Hristov publishing successful fiction. Of course, government initiatives and literary agencies would be happy to create book aisles and try to encourage more reading.
On a deeper level, however, people today need messages of Truth: deep, meaningful, impactful content that points to the one hope we all hunger for: Christ. And ultimately, that’s what MAI’s Balkan Plus Writers’ Forum is all about.