In brief
At a ceremony held at Sofia’s National Palace of Culture on November 2, 2026, writer Zdravka Evtimova received the Peroto Literary Award for Lifetime Achievement. The event also announced winners in five categories—Children’s Literature, Debut, Poetry, Prose, and Translation from Bulgarian—which highlighted the country’s literary talent. Evtimova praised warmth as essential to the creative journey and urged young writers to embrace their inner strength.
Zdravka Evtimova was honored with the Peroto Literary Award for Lifetime Achievement at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia on November 2, 2026, according to BTA.
The ceremony, held in the National Palace of Culture (NDK) on the evening of November 2, brought together authors, translators and cultural officials to acknowledge the contributions of Bulgaria’s literary community. The Peroto Award, named after the late writer Milen Peroto, recognises sustained excellence and influence in Bulgarian literature.
Culture Minister Evtim Miloshev opened the ceremony with a tribute to Evtimova’s modest approach to writing and the way her work transforms everyday streets of Pernik into a vibrant universe. He said she stays rooted in her hometown while bringing the world to it, finding stories in ordinary people who are often overlooked.
"Zdravka Evtimova is an author whose work describes life in her hometown of Pernik and turns ordinary streets into an entire universe. Every writer sets out from a small town to conquer the world. She stayed in Pernik and brought the world to her hometown,"
Miloshev praised her ability to discover compelling characters among those people whom others might pass by without noticing. He also highlighted her success “to inspire other writers and translators to create an immortal book and an immortal translation.”
Accepting the award, Evtimova expressed deep gratitude and urged fellow writers and translators to find warmth in their creative journeys. She said: "I wish writers and translators the inspiration to create ‘an immortal book’ and ‘an immortal translation.’ Warmth is the most important thing in my creative journey, and I hope to pass it on to others, especially young writers and poets, to help them believe in their own strength and to share achievements without envy.”
She added that she wanted to keep a strong memory of the literary works of previous generations and concluded by wishing good health to all Bulgarians and well‑being for the country.
The Peroto Literary Awards are presented in five categories: Debut, Poetry, Children’s Literature, Prose, and Translation from Bulgarian into a foreign language. The winners were announced during the ceremony.
Children’s Literature – Ivanka Mogilska took the award for "A Clearing for Snowmen," beating out Maria Doneva for "My Dolls" and Petya Kokudeva for "Madame Grumble."
Debut – Evgenia Dineva was named winner for her work "Kalava," surpassing Katerina Vasileva’s "The Land of Big Mistakes" and Kapka Kaneva’s "The Magic Grapes."
The BTA report notes that nominations and winners were also announced for Poetry, Prose, and Translation from Bulgarian, but full details were not included in the article excerpt.
Viewers of the event can explore the National Palace of Culture in Sofia virtually, attend the ceremony’s press conference and listen to the speakers in their immersive environment.
