The jury of the 15th National Literary Competition announces six nominees for the 2026 Bulgarian Novel of the Year

30 novels were submitted to the 2026 competition for Bulgarian Novel of the Year, organised by the ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund.

Today, 22 April 2026, the jury, chaired by Prof. Bozhidar Manov, DA; Assoc. Prof. Boyko Penchev, DPhil; Assoc. Prof. Ani Burova, DPhil; Yanitsa Radeva, PhD; and Assoc. Prof. Maurice Fadel, DSc., announced six nominees and their novels, listed below in alphabetical order of authors’ family names:

1. ‘Pain Comes Later’, by Antonia Apostolova, Janet-45 Print and Publishing;
2. ‘Under the Moon, Huge as a Pumpkin’, by Boyan Yordanov, Janet-45 Print and Publishing;
3. ‘And I Came Down’, by Vladimir Zarev, Hermes Publishing House;
4. ‘The Last Dolphin Hunter’, by Zahari Karabashliev, Ciela Norma AD;
5. ‘The Trout’, by Irena Forel, Fama Publishing;
6. ‘Rodinia’, by Nikolay Terziyski, Janet-45 Print and Publishing.

Writers and publishers of novels that appear in 2025 are eligible to apply for the competition. With this award, NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ promotes and popularises contemporary Bulgarian fiction.

The winning novel will be announced by the jury at a ceremony, organised by the Fund, at 6:00 p.m. on 11 May 2026, at the Sofia City Art Gallery.