The national literary award “Rashko Sugarev” is conferred for the best published short story by authors up to the age of 35. It is named after the writer, Rashko Sugarev (1941-1995), who is a master of the short genre and has been defined as “an alien from another planet” by Georgi Velichkov.
The award is given on 23 April – the World Day of book, copyright, and readers. It is awarded by NEF “13 Centuries Bulgaria” which organizes the competition and provides the award’s financing. The competition’s jury is composed of writers; the first three of them were collaborators of Rashko Sugarev: Dimitar Korudjiev (Chairman), Georgi Velichkov, Ljuben Petkov, and for several years now, Dejan Enev and also Teodora Georgie a, after Ljuben Petkov died in 2016.
Annually, the jury selects three recipients with the first, second and third prizes. Over 70 authors have been awarded since 1998.
On 10 November 2023, the ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund presented in the Prof. Vasil Gerov Hall, and for the 26th time, the prizes in the national short story competition named after Rashko Sugarev, Jury members Theodora Dimova, Hristo Blazhev and Yordan Eftimov had selected the winning entries on 1 November.
First prize went to Dimana Simeonova for her short story, ‘Dress with Buckles’; second to Kristin Dimitrova for ‘Ten Cats’; and third to Slaveya Semova for ‘What the Wind Says’.
The Rashko Sugarev Competition is a way to encourage young people to compose and create quality literature in the short-story genre. Many of the awardees over the years have already established their place in Bulgarian belles-lettres.
Rashko Sugarev
Born on 1 April 1941 in Plovdiv, Rashko Sugarev graduated in Medicine in 1967, and later (1968–72) headed the district psychiatric clinic in Smolyan. In 1977, he settled in Sofia.
He was a translator and the author of the stories ‘The Sergeant Major and the Sun’ (1973) and ‘Ballad of Princes’ (1982). He also published several novels, including ‘Renunciation of Inheritance’ (1984) and ‘Transfigurations of Our Lord’ (1988).
He died in Sofia on 16 March 1995.
On 27 April 2022, the ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund presented the prizes in the 25th national short story competition named for Rashko Sugarev, in the Prof. Vasil Gerov Hall. Journalist Magdalena Gigova, the Fund’s PR expert, hosted the event.
Jury members Theodora Dimova and Deyan Enev pointed out that the competition is a way to encourage young people to compose and create quality literature. Deyan Enev added that an author dedicated to belles-lettres, who breaks all standards, as did Rashko Sugarev, is the right one to be the competition’s patron. He emphasised that, over the years, more than 75 young writers have won awards, some already having earned a prominent place in Bulgarian literature. Theodora Dimova expressed her hope that, in the next competition, participants would be of equal quality, but greater in number.
Hristo Rayanov, winner of the first prize received a diploma as well as books published by NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’. Books were similarly presented to all the other prize winners. Rayanov is a Doctor of Science in Literature, Cinematography and Screenwriting.
Tea Moneva was awarded second prize for her story, ‘Collector of Eyes’. She lives in Germany, so she sent a representative, Radostina Ganova, who gratefully accepted the diploma on her behalf.
The third prize was presented for the short story, ‘Department of Severe Depressions’, by Ivelina Dobreva.
On 23 April, the World Day of the Book, Copyright and Readers, the ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund awarded the winners of the Rashko Sugarev Short Story Competition for the twenty-fourth time.
Owing to the complex situation relating to the spread of COVID-19, the event was held in the Prof. Vasil Gerov Hall of the Fund’s central office, with a limited attendance. Journalist Magdalena Gigova, the Fund’s PR expert, was the host.
The writer Deyan Enev, member of the jury, awarded those individually selected with diplomas. Ms Slava Ivanova, the Fund’s Executive Director, greeted everyone, presented them with books—publications by the Fund—and wished them future creative success.
The first prize went to Yordan Radichkov for the story, ‘A Dog’s Life’, second prize to Ralitsa Raykova for ‘The Salt of the Earth’, and third prize to Eleonora Boycheva for her tale, ‘The Bench’
This year, under the emergency conditions relating to the spread of coronavirus, the ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund awarded the winners of the Rashko Sugarev Short Story Competition for the twenty-third time. The event took place on 18 June 2020 at the Sredets Gallery of the Ministry of Culture with a limited attendance. Members of the jury Theodora Dimova and Deyan Enev, the winners, and a restricted number of guests were present.
The Fund’s Executive Director, Slava Ivanova, greeted everyone, thanking the jury for their responsible work, and congratulating the winners of the competition. The writers Theodora Dimova and Deyan Enev highlighted the importance of the prize and its contribution to the development of young authors in Bulgarian belles-lettres. On behalf of the Fund, the Executive Director presented the diplomas to those selected by the jury.
First prize went to Yanitsa Hristova for the story ‘Memories Clinic’, second prize to Radoslav Petkashev for ‘In the Mountain’, and third prize to Angel Ivanov for his tale, ‘From All Parts of the World’.
All three prize winners expressed their gratitude and respect to the award’s patron, Rashko Sugarev.
On 23 April – World Day of the Book, Copyright and Reading People, NEF “13 Centuries Bulgaria” with the kind support of Ministry of Culture arranged, at Gallery “Sredetz”, an awarding ceremony for the laureates of twenty-second National Competition “Rashko Sugarev” for a short story published by an author aged to 35 years. 22 young writers took part in the competition.
A jury, composed by Dimitar Korudjiev (Chairman), Georgi Velichkov, Dejan Enev and Teodora Dimova, determined the three recipients: First Prize – a honorary diploma and 700 leva – Angel Ivanov from Gabrovo for the story “The Good Christian”; Second Prize – a honorary diploma and 500 leva – Desislava Nikolova from Sofia for the story ” Dexamethasone”; Third Prize – a honorary diploma and 400 leva – Posen Karamfilov from Sofia for the story “A Tale of a Genius”.
Executive Director of the Fund, Slava Ivanova opened the ceremony with a welcoming address. Writer Georgi Velichkov shared his emotional memories about Rashko Sugarev and Teodora Dimova and Dejan Enev outlined the role and importance of the award for the development of young authors in Bulgarian belles-lettres.
Those awarded received a choice collection of books in the name of the Fund: Jubilee book. Roundtable “History and Perspectives”, 35 years NEF “13 Centuries Bulgaria”; Love at Any Time. Stories by Laureates of National Competition “Rashko Sugarev 1998/2014”; monographs from the series “Contemporary Bulgarian Art. Names”: “Encho Pironkov” by Krasimir Linkiv, “Bojidar Bonchev” by Ruzha Marinska and “Yasen Gjuzelev” by Georgi Lozanov. National Library “St. St. Kiril and Methodius” gave each one of them the jubilee album “Treasury” published on the occasion of 140th anniversary of the foundation of the institution.
The three laureates extended their gratitude and respect to the patron of the Rashko Sugarev Award.
Institutions, writers and media were presented to the public.
On 23 April 2018 in the bookstore “Helicon – Vitosha”, for the 21st time, National Endowment Fund “13 Centuries Bulgaria” conferred the awards from the Bulgarian Literary Competition for published short story “Rashko Sugarev”, 2018.
The Executive Director of the Fund, Mitko Todorov, opened the event, focusing on the importance of literature and copyright. He announced the names of the three laureates and their works, which the jury set this year, and bestowed the honors: First Prize – Honorary Diploma and 700 BGN to Velislav D. Ivanov, about the short story “The disgrace”; Second Prize – Honorary Diploma and 500 BGN to Kaloyan Zahariev for the short story “Nymph from the River”; Third Prize – Honorary Diploma and 400 BGN to Ralitsa Raykova for the short story “The Backpack”.
Georgi Velichkov and Dejan Enev, members of the jury, described the varied and original artistic and literary merits of the 27 applications presented.
On April 20, in the bookstore “Helicon – Vitosha”, the Awards from the Twentieth Jubilee edition of the national competition for a published short narrative, “Rashko Subgasev – 2017”, for authors up to 35 years of age were given.
Executive Director of “13 Centuries Bulgaria”, Mitko Todorov, opened the event and bestowed the honors: First Prize to Martin Kolev for the narrative “Black Squares”; Second prize to Veržini Ovanesân for the narrative “Weather Forecast”; Third Prize to Bozhidar Georgiev for “Retro Photo – Sweet Nostalgia”.
This year, over twenty candidates took part in the competition.
On April 21, 2016, in the bookstore “Helicon – Vitosha”, prizes from the nineteenth edition of the competition for published short story for authors up to 35 years of age “Rashko Sugarev” were awarded. At the beginning, the attendees honored with a minute’s silence the memory of the deceased recently writer and jury member Lyuben Petkov. Georgi Velichkov spoke about his work.
Deyan Enev analyzed the thematic and stylistic diversity of the stories presented in 2016, and specifically reviewed the 27 applications, many of which expressed innovative, modern trends in our newest fiction. He presented the collection “Love at all times”, containing the honored stories by 40 authors in the “Rashko Sugarev” contest from the establishment of the prize in 1998 to 2014.
The jury awarded: First prize to Zornitsa Garkova for the story “They never say”; Second prize to Bianca-Maria Zhelyazkova for “Fathers for adoption”; Third prize to Alexander Tsonkov for “The Ninth Life”.
On April 13 in the bookstore “Helicon-Vitosha”, the executive director of the NEF “13 Centuries Bulgaria”, Prof. Greddi Assa handed the award from the National Literary Competition for published short story “Rashko Sougarev” 2015.
More than thirty candidates from all over the country participated in the competition. The jury awarded: Natalia Atanasova the First prize for the narrative “Black and white pictures”; Second prize to Kalin Vasilev for the short story “Four flashes of the summer”; Third prize to Patricia Nikolova for the story “Kaddish for those unborn”.