The Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA) has launched a nationwide series of discussions across its national press clubs commemorating the 160th birth anniversary of poet Pencho Slaveykov and the period of Bulgarian modernism. The initial event, titled “Pencho Slaveykov Today,” is being held in his hometown of Tryavna at the Slaveykov House Museum, moderated by literary scholar Yordan Eftimov and attended by the town mayor. The campaign’s reach will be reflected in the December issue of LIK magazine, which will feature reports from the discussions and a special section containing 160 individual contributions.
According to Eftimov, the initiative aims to explore the role of Pencho Slaveykov and his contemporaries, including members of the influential “Misal” literary circle, who were instrumental in modernizing Bulgaria. These discussions, which will take place across BTA’s 45 national press clubs, are intended to prompt reflection on Bulgarian society through the legacy of Slaveykov. The event structure encourages writers and researchers to examine how the poet influenced their work and how his study in schools shaped literary development.
The Tryavna event was also attended by Vijay Joshi, CEO of the Press Trust of India. Pencho Slaveykov (born 1866) was a significant figure in Bulgarian literature. Despite suffering physical impairments from a young age, he developed a profound creative outlook influenced by writers like Henrik Ibsen.
After studying philosophy in Leipzig, he returned to Bulgaria, where he worked as a teacher and was closely associated with the Misul literary circle. His body of work spans lyrical poetry and socio-critical pieces, solidifying his place in modern Bulgarian cultural memory.
Topics: #slaveykov #pencho #bulgarian
