Bianca Bellová is recognized as one of the most successful and widely read contemporary Czech writers and she herself is proud of her Bulgarian origin and says that every reader could detect a Bulgarian thread in her novels.

Many books by Czech authors are published in Bulgaria, including Bianca Bellová's novels. Three of them were translated and published in less than 5 years. In 2018, "The Lake" was published. The novel received the most prestigious literary prize of the Czech Republic - Magnesia litera in the "Book of the Year" category /2017/. Her work also won the European Union Prize for Literature.

At the beginning of May, Bianca was in Bulgaria to present her latest novel "The Island" and to meet the Bulgarian readers in Plovdiv and Sofia. "Bianca Bellova's novels go beyond concrete meaning. They are not one-dimensional, but lead to familiar classic plots," associate professor Ani Burova says about her work.

"Actually, I only write in Czech, as my Bulgarian is not perfect. I didn't think that my novels would be translated into Bulgarian, but the publishers showed interest and asked to have my works in their portfolio," said Bianca Bellová and added:

"I am from Kardzhali; my family is from the Rhodopes and I spent a large part of my childhood there. It's a magical place. I have a lot of sentimental, nostalgic memories that I come back to more and more over time. These are the memories of my childhood, very innocent and pure, from the time when one did not have any problems. I remember my great-grandmother's old house; waking up in the morning to the bells of the cows going to the river. After that, my grandmother used to make bread topped with wild strawberry jam. We children used to go to the river during the day and make a fire. By the way, I was born in Prague. My father, Becho Bechev, went there in 1963, when he was still a student. There is a Bulgarian community in Prague and together we celebrate Trifon Zarezan every year. My brother is very interested in Bulgarian traditions. His name is Georgi Bechev, he plays, sings and organizes events related to the homeland. He has a shop in the historical center of Prague, as he imports traditional Rhodope blankets, carpets from Chiprovtzi and traditional wool products in general. There is a lot of interest among the Czechs. I think that the Czechs really like Bulgarians; they know us well because there are many Czech tourists who come to spend their holidays in Bulgaria. I see that Bulgaria has left good memories in them and they associate the name of the country with pleasant experiences."

During her visit to Bulgaria, Bianca found time to visit her relatives in Kardzhali, and also to explore the whole of Plovdiv and meet the reading public there. She is also satisfied with her stay in Sofia, where, in addition to people related to Czech culture and translation, she had the opportunity to meet and talk with her favorite Bulgarian writer, Georgi Gospodinov, who has recently been nominated for the Booker Prize for his novel Time Shelter.

"I really like Georgi Gospodinov’s novels, as he is very emotional, sentimental, and I think he is interested in topics I also focus on in my work. It is childhood and the stories we have heard from close people that have left a mark on us."

Photos: BTA, Gergana Mancheva