Renowned Bulgarian Writer Georgi Gospodinov Has Been Awarded the 2025 Vilenica International Literary Prize

Bulgarian author Georgi Gospodinov has been named the recipient of the prestigious Vilenica International Literary Prize for 2025.

The award, presented by the Slovene Writers’ Association, marks its 40th anniversary this year and honours exceptional achievements in literature or essay writing by authors from Central Europe.

"It's exciting to be selected for an award whose winners have been Milan Kundera, Zbigniew Herbert, Adam Zagajewski, Olga Tokarczuk, Peter Handke, Goran Stefanovski, Miljenko Jergović, Dubravka Ugrešić… Thank you!” Gospodinov wrote on his Facebook profile.

Past laureates of the Vilenica Prize include renowned writers such as Ana Blandiana, Péter Esterházy, Ilma Rakusa, Karl-Markus Gauß, David Albahari, Claudio Magris, Mircea Cărtărescu, László Krasznahorkai, and Ilija Trojanow.

The recipient of the award is selected by an international jury composed of distinguished writers, translators, scholars, and essayists. This year, the jury is chaired by Gregor Podlogar, a Slovenian poet, translator, radio host, and DJ.