THE SIX SHORT-LISTED NOVELS FOR VICK PRIZE 2008

 

Alec Popov

The Black Box

Zachary Stoyanov Publishing House

Despite being depicted as a dark novel, with its undoubtedly fascinating plot, what I see in the book is a tremendous depth of argument, a strong lyricism and a reflection on the meaning of our choices in life. The feeling of guilt and the unsaid words, which torment every man who has experienced an unexpected loss of someone close, is depicted in a very moving way. This, I think, is the strongest achievement of the author in addition to the plot, and the suggestion that only leaving this labyrinth of thoughts allows one to move forward.

Maria Uzunova

 

 

Alexander Sekulov

Collector of Love Sentences

Ciela Publishing House

In Collector of Love Sentences, the story is tender, magical and strong. There are also elegant references to Gabriel Garcia Marques and Milorad Pavic. Nevertheless, no direct comparisons are appropriate, since Sekulov possesses a unique style, with no excess words or words that need changing. Alexander Sekulov describes these as ‘fruits from the tree of absolute freedom'.

Vesislava Antonova

 

 

 

Elena Alexieva

The Knight, the Devil, Death

Colibri Publishing House

The Knight, the Devil, Death is definitely not a novel about writing, but a novel about telling a story. This becomes clear with the very first sentences when one realizes that the whole narration is being retold by a third person. The first effect is a sudden reminder of the fairytale genre. In the end the retelling achieves an alienating effect. This story moves into the background and the focus remains a question mark - the unknown subject who re-retells, re-reveals.

Angel Igov

 

 

Evgenia Ivanova

Photo Stoyanovich

Balkani Publishing House

Evgenia Ivanova’s book is an educated attempt to think of the past as necessary to form existential foundations of the present; at the same time, she uses the post-modern techniques of the game and the mystification, an interplay between you and the others, reality and fiction. In this sense, the author skipped the last twenty years' experiments of fiction, using a whole new style of writing that may be further developed in the near future of Bulgarian literature.

Prof. Milena Kirova

 

 

 

Pip Volant

Mamka

Fruweg – PZP Publishing House

 

"Pip Volant is a natural talent."

Krasimir Yordanov

 

 

 

 

Theodora Dimova

Adriana

Ciela Publishing House

Adriana is Theodora Dimova’s homage to her father – the writer Dimitar Dimov. Very personal, painful and soaked with infinite love. She does not like calling Adriana a sequel to his Unnamed Novel, since professionalism and modesty would not allow the comparison to be made with the best. But Adriana is a sensual, modern novel – a provocation about the way love is destroyed, destiny given the cold shoulder and hope that the frantic loneliness of old age will pay off all debts to God.

Margarita Boicheva