The 15th ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ 2026 National Literary Prize for Bulgarian Novel of the Year was made possible with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.
On 11 May 2026, the jury, chaired by Prof. Bozhidar Manov, DA; and Assoc. Prof. Boyko Penchev, DPhil; Assoc. Prof. Ani Burova, DPhil; Yanitsa Radeva, PhD; and Assoc. Prof. Maurice Fadel, DSc., chose ‘Under the Moon, Huge as a Pumpkin’ as the novel of the year in the competition organised by the Fund for the ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ 2026 National Literary Prize for Bulgarian Novel of the Year. Its author, Boyan Yordanov, won the award with his novel published in 2025 by Janet-45 Print and Publishing.
Following the jury’s second meeting, the award ceremony took place in the Sofia City Art Gallery, where Prof. Bozhidar Manov, DA, spoke about the jury’s work and announced the winning novel.
Ms Bisera Yosifova, Executive Director of NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’, thanked the jury and presented the award to the author Boyan Yordanov.
The ceremony ended with a musical greeting by students from the Prof. Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music. Tsveti Dankina, violin, and Jiachen Li, accompanying on the grand piano, performed Devil’s Trill, parts 1 and 2, by Giuseppe Tartini.
This year, in connection with the 45th anniversary of the Fund’s establishment, the ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ 2026 National Literary Prize for Bulgarian Novel of the Year was made possible with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture. The cash prize of 10,000 Euro was awarded in addition to the prize.
Bisera Yosifova expressed special gratitude to Maestro Nayden Todorov, Minister of Culture, and to Mr Alexander Traykov, Deputy Minister, historian and long-time Director General of the Inspectorate for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage Directorate at the Ministry of Culture, for the support provided to the 15th ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ 2026 National Literary Prize for Bulgarian Novel of the Year.