To mark the 95th anniversary of the birth of Academician Vera Mutafchieva, the Fund organised a literary gathering on 28 March 2024 in the Prof. Vasil Gerov Hall.
Angela Rodel presented her English translation of Vera Mutafchieva’s novel ,‘The Case of Cem’. The first English-language edition of the historical novel was published in January 2024 and was introduced for the first time to the American public in New York, New Jersey and other cities in the United States. ‘The novel was very well received by both Bulgarian and American readers,’ said Ms Rodel.
The meeting was attended by: Ms Iliana Yotova, Vice President of the Republic of Bulgaria; Kin Stoyanov, Director of Bulgarian National Radio’s Hristo Botev Programme; representatives of the State Cultural Institute under the Minister of Foreign Affairs; Janet-45 Print and Publishing; journalists from BTA, BNR, 24 Chasa; and writers, relatives and friends of Academician Mutafchieva.
Marie Vrinat-Nikolov—also invited to the meeting—was the first translator into French of Vera Mutafchieva’s novel ‘I, Anna Comnena’. Ms Vrinat was unable to attend, but kindly offered the Fund her memories of their long-standing friendship.
The full text that the French translator sent especially for the event can be viewed at:
Angela Rodel also shared her impressions of the oeuvre of the great Bulgarian writer:
About the novel
Vera Mutafchieva wrote about ‘The Cem Case’ in her ‘Occurrences III Curious Occurrences’: ‘And through the success of this book—not so magnificent—I descry consolation that my message was understood, accepted. To be honest, I cannot find any other reason for its popularity. In other words: in Cem’s fate, more that of Saadi’s, like-minded people from the Eastern Bloc had seen their own. This became evident not only from the times it was translated, but also from the speed, and from the reprints of these translations. So to say, I had created a literary hero needed by many from some ten countries.’
In an interview in 2006, Vera Matafchieva said: ‘For me, “The Cem Case” was the racehorse—it was the Hungarian events that directed me to “The Cem Case”.’ And also: ‘Thanks to the people who have supported me, not by [their] actions … Thanks to my friends, because one cannot do without friends. If anything, I shall be sad to stop learning something new. What a joy it is to learn something new.’
Others speaking about the author:
Antonina Zhelyazkova, one of Vera Mutafchieva’s three students, who shared many years of intellectual and human friendship with her, recalled:
‘I claim, without hesitation, that Vera Mutafchieva was a person as wise as Socrates and with infinite talents. She experimented with all sorts of research ideas, preparing academic collections, meticulously analysing Ottoman sources and travellers’ testimonies. Everything had to be deeply rationalised, or rejected, or accepted by our young, brainy fellows. We certainly had to reflect on the doses of scepticism and misanthropy that our Vera instilled in us systematically and with calculated persistence so as to be ready for the trials of life. And not to suddenly get scared and abandon our research longings and strivings because of life’s bitterness.’
Marie Vrinat-Nikolov, who translated Vera Mutafchieva’s historical novel, ‘I, Anna Comnena’ into French, said: ‘Vera’s last undertaking, if I am not mistaken, was the compilation and publication of the volumes, “History Inhabited by People”. People interested her keenly; she was surrounded by many friends. She herself was inhabited by so much history, and stories…’
The full text of Marie Vrinat-Nikolov’s memories of the translation of ‘I, Anna Comnena’ and about Vera Mutafchieva, sent especially to the Fund, can be viewed at:
Translated by Nigrita Davies