The author of International Booker Prize winner, Georgi Gospodinov, to BNT: The most important thing is that you can talk about big things in a small language

Days after winning one of the most prestigious literary awards - the International Booker Prize 2023 – the Bulgarian writer, Georgi Gospodinov, on May 30 was a special guest in the BNT show "Kultura.BG" (Culture BG) together with Pavel Vesnakov, director of the film "Georgi Gospodinov in the Shelter of Time". The film is part of the "BNT Presents" documentary series of the public broadcaster and will be broadcast tomorrow evening, 31 May, at 21:00 on BNT 1.

‘Time Shelter’ by Georgi Gospodinov wins International Booker Prize

In the studio of "Kultura.BG" Gospodinov told about the emotion after the great recognition and the interesting meetings with the people who came to congratulate him. Among them were famous authors from Bulgaria and abroad, Nobel laureates and Georgi Markov's wife Annabel, who exclaimed. "George would have liked to see that and would have been very pleased."

"Clearly we are in dire need of good things here, but the world also needs to see something bright from here. Because the way the big media like the BBC, the Guardian, the New York Times reacted; the way they asked questions about Bulgaria - they were happy and they already knew about the joy in Bulgaria; the way we explained that we had such a celebration, that this was a country that could celebrate its language and that this country was not lost. And that also impressed them - that somebody could rejoice in such a way over a book, after all it is not a football match.

I'm very happy for all the readers who stood and waited and watched the broadcast, I wasn't expecting that.

When they announced the award, Angela Rodel and I looked at each other and said at the first moment, "Did you hear that right, is that for us?" I thank her very much for being there for me in that moment and in general - she is a great translator," said Gospodinov.

He hoped that his success would open the door for young authors in the country.

"This award really opens up curiosity to other people and I hope that the next writers will now have a much easier time and have an open door.

The most important thing is also that you can talk about big things in small language. We shouldn't give up that confidence - we have the right to talk about the big things in the world without being exoticized or exoticizing ourselves.

For young people who write for others as well, we have to put it bluntly - it's a long road, it's hard work, physically and mentally, it's long years of solitary writing, and what you're going to see in film is exactly that solitude. That's what remains unseen, usually," the writer said.

The biography documentary "Georgi Gospodinov in the Shelter of Time" will take viewers into the artist's personal space, where among books, notes and memories he will meet them with himself. Georgi Gospodinov goes back to his first words - heard, read and written, which determined his path as a writer.

"The interesting thing is that we actually started making the film in February-March and over time I witnessed what was happening to Georgi and it's very interesting to note that the film is about time - what makes us remember it, pass it by, how it accompanies our lives. And the point of this film, I think, is that I hope the viewers will remember this moment, this event for Bulgarian literature that happens to Georgi.

The form of "BNT Presents" makes things even more special because it's an intimate look into Georgi's creative world. I was invited by Irena Marinova, who is the executive producer of the entire series, and it was an incredible pleasure to accept this challenge," said Pavel G Vesnakov., the director of “Georgi Gospodinov in the Shelter of Time”..

Vesnakov wished Georgi Gospodinov more success.

"Looking at the trajectory he has taken in recent years, Olga Tokarchuk actually won the same prize in 2018 - that's one year before she won the Nobel Prize. I wish Georgy would follow that path. I say this because people watching the film will be able to see this intimacy, this everydayness of the talent that he carries within him," said Pavel G. Vesnakov.

The screening of "Georgi Gospodinov in the Shelter of Time" is tonight, at the Cinema House at 6.30 pm. Tomorrow, you can see the film on BNT1 at 9 pm.

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