I was born in 1951 in the village of Hirevo. This village is not shown on most maps of Bulgaria for the same reason that Bulgaria itself does not appear on some maps of the world – an inferiority complex.
Understandably, perhaps, I have spent most of my adult life trying to overcome this complex: I went to University in Sofia, spent nearly sixteen years with Bulgarian National Radio, spent a further sixteen years making regular appearans on Bulgarian television, published five satirical books in Bulgaria, two books in Italy, one in Hungary, I was one of the four bulgarian writers included in the book of contemporary eastern european writing “DESCRIPTION OF A STRUGGLE”, published by PICADOR in England and by VINTAGE in the USA, I traveled four months all over USA and I published a book about America, I took part in the 11th Edition of Miami Book Fair International, animated film “Sunday”, produced on the basis of my screenplay is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, four of my plays were put up on the stage, in two of them I played as an actor, and even I put myself forward as a candidate in Bulgaria’s first presidential elections, although some people took me seriosly, Bulgaria was transformed into huge stage… As a result of all these activities, I have now developed an even bigger inferiority complex.
Consequently, if you try to look me up – be it in literature or in theatre, or in Bulgaria, or abroad – I won’t be there.
Ivan’s contributions:
