Bulgaria in a Special Corner of the Library in Brussels’ Schaerbeek District

published on 4/23/25 1:26 PM

Aaron Willem

Photo: Daniela Goleminova

In the Schaarbeek municipality of Brussels, there is a small corner of Bulgaria inside the Sophia Municipal Library, housing a valuable collection of Bulgarian books. Librarian Aaron Willem played a key role in setting up the Bulgarian section of the Flemish library. It offers not only a wide selection of literature, but also snug nooks for reading and conversation. In Daniela Goleminova's interview with Aaron Willem, we learn about the history of the Sophia library and how the decision to open a section with books in Bulgarian in the Flemish library came about:

"We started the collection in 2019, and it was due to the fact that in Schaarbeek, where we are now, there was a big increase in the Bulgarian population. And so we decided to contact the Bulgarian associations and people to work together to build a collection in Bulgarian. It was very important for us to know what the Bulgarian community wanted."

What literature is currently most prominent in the Bulgarian section? Contemporary or classical?

'It really is a mix of classic and contemporary, and we have also chosen international titles - translations of international books into Bulgarian. And very importantly, when we talk about Bulgarian books, there is also a children's section of the Bulgarian collection. And so it is, we have a Bulgarian school in Brussels, a Saturday school, and they, often they come and visit the library. And it's very important for us to have children's books so that Bulgarian children in Brussels can also learn about their culture and language.'

Apart from the children, are there any other people who use the library on a regular basis?

"Most of the people who come for the Bulgarian section are, I think, Bulgarians who live in Brussels, and we have Bulgarians with a Turkish background, and we have a lot of people who are involved in the European institutions in Brussels."

Do you know Bulgaria? Have you been to our country?

'I have never been to Bulgaria. I'd like to, but to be honest I'm not a big traveler. I'm someone who travels a lot in his mind. And so I think I have learned a lot about Bulgaria and Bulgarian culture over the last few years through films, books and, yes, culture. I have my own favourites in Bulgarian literature. So, my absolute favorite is Zravka Eftimova. Yes, I really like her books.'

Do you organise presentations of Bulgarian books in the library, do you invite Bulgarian authors?

"This is very important for us, because it is not easy to promote the Bulgarian collection, because it is really a new thing in Belgium. It's the only collection in Belgium that has books for adults and children. That is why these visits are so important to us. Maria Doneva is coming to visit us very soon. One day she will talk about literature for adults and the next day she will talk about children's literature. Mrs Doneva will be our guest on 24 May, the Day of Bulgarian Education and Culture. We always have meetings with Bulgarian writers around these dates. Two years ago we had Zdravka Evtimova."

Writer Zdravka Evtimova talks to the audience at the Sophia library in Schaarbeek.

How is the library's collection replenished and over what period of time?

"Most of the books are bought by the library and our system is that the local bookshop we work with imports the books from Bulgaria. So in addition to new books, we are also open to donations. We have learnt that in the Bulgarian tradition it is very popular to share books. So we try to provide books in this way, especially those on contemporary issues."

Do you research what readers find interesting?

"Yes. We have a form that people can fill in. It's also on our website where people can make suggestions. But we need to do more to know the preferences of our public. So it's the volunteers, the Bulgarian volunteers of the collection, who are our link to the preferences of the Bulgarian people."