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I Can't Wait to Visit Iran and Attend the Tehran Book Fair
1403/02/28-16:33
Velina Minkoff said: "I can't wait to come to Iran. Visiting Tehran and the Book Fair was a plan that Alex Popov, another Bulgarian writer, and I have long wanted to fulfill."
According to the news headquarters of the 35th Tehran International Book Fair, Velina Minkoff is a famous Bulgarian writer whose works have been published in many languages, including Persian, French, and English. She was born in Sofia in 1974, holds a bachelor's degree in English from UCLA, USA, and a master's degree in European Studies from the University of Amsterdam. She lives in Paris with her husband and two children. We had an interview with Minkoff about the publication of her works in Persian and the Tehran International Book Fair, which you will read below:
To date, several of your works, including the novel "The Red and Blue Report of the Green Amoeba," the story "The House of Ghosts," and two stories in the anthology "After Communism" have been published in Iran. How do you introduce these works to Iranian readers?
"Greetings to my Iranian friends. I am very happy to talk to you about this topic. Let's start in reverse order: My first works published in Iran were in the contemporary Bulgarian story anthology 'After Communism.' The story 'The Wedding' in this book captures a moment of childhood memory crystallized in a little girl's dream of becoming a bride, while the story 'The Mouse' is set in Paris, narrating the lives of several generations and ending with the promise that despite the challenging dialogue between generations, there is room for everyone under the sun. The way Farid chose my texts was very interesting to me because they are very different and were written 15 years apart, yet both are very representative of my perspective and writing style.
'The House of Ghosts' is a small single-story book beautifully published, and what a great idea Farid and 'Sib Sorkh' Publications had for releasing such a collection of pocketbooks! This book revolves around the concept of memory and tells the story of an old house that once hosted great love, a love that can emerge and thrive again from the ruins. After this book was published, a group of Iranian readers (Consefr) contacted me, and through them, I was able to connect online with Iranian readers, just like during COVID. Honestly, I was very moved by this interaction and felt that we are getting closer in this world. But my greatest joy was when Farid completed the translation of my novel 'The Red and Blue Report of the Green Amoeba,' and it was published by Hirmand Publishing. When I held the Persian version of the book in my hands, I was thrilled to think that Iranians are reading my words in Persian. I couldn't believe that this beautiful Persian script was the translation of my text. This novel is a kind of time capsule of the 1980s, based on a teenager's memories of a summer camp in North Korea - a fictional take on my experiences during the months before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of communism in Europe and North Korea. I am very eager to receive feedback from my Iranian readers about this novel.
The Tehran International Book Fair is held every year in May. Would you like to travel to Iran to personally sign your books for Iranian readers at the Tehran Book Fair?
"If given the opportunity, I can't wait to come to Iran. This way, not only will I receive feedback from Iranian readers and writers, but I also hope to engage in conversations with my Iranian audience. Such a meeting would be a precious gift. Visiting Tehran and the Book Fair was a plan that my dear friend Alex Popov and I have long wanted to fulfill. Alex Popov was one of the most extraordinary Bulgarian writers of our time. A story of his was published in the 'After Communism' collection, and his novel 'Mission London' was also translated into Persian by Farid. This novel is an extremely hilarious political comedy depicting the outdated reality of diplomatic relations during the post-communist transition period. Unfortunately, Alex passed away at the end of March this year after a brief but very intense battle with cancer. This was a painful blow to Bulgarian literature, one we are unsure we will ever recover from. Alex was one of the brightest voices of contemporary satirical literature to emerge in our country and across Europe. His books remain, and I am fortunate to have translated some of his works into English and French, so it will be my honor to meet and exchange views with his Iranian readers in his memory."
How Familiar Are You with Iranian Culture and Persian Literature?
Before meeting Farid Ghadami, my familiarity with Iranian literature and culture was limited to the poetry of Khayyam and Rumi, and the novel "The Blind Owl" by Sadegh Hedayat, whose grave I visited at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. When Farid arrived in Sofia in 2019 as a guest writer and translator at the House of Literature and Translation, I was introduced to other Iranian writers and poets like Nima Yooshij, Abolqasem Ferdowsi, Ahmad Shamlou, Yadollah Royai, Reza Baraheni, and Obaid Zakani. Additionally, I became acquainted with painters like Iran Doroudi and filmmakers such as Sohrab Shahid-Saless, Masoud Kimiai, and Dariush Mehrjui, among many others. Alongside Farid and his wife, Mastaneh Farnam, I discovered the magic of Yalda Night and Iranian Nowruz, as well as traditional and folk Iranian music.
Moreover, Farid has written a novel inspired by his stay in Bulgaria, "The Commune of the Dead or an Elegy for the Bloody Shirt of Sofia." This novel is an incredible journey through time and space, from the medieval Alamut of Iran and the historical figure Hasan-Ali Zakar-Assalam to the era of Soviet communism and contemporary times in Bulgaria. Through this novel, I learned about the very old and ancient historical and linguistic connections between the cultures of Iran and Bulgaria. It is amazing how through literature we can create lasting friendships that open windows to worlds we knew little about.
Is There Anything Else You'd Like to Discuss with Iranian Readers That I Haven't Asked About?
First, I want to thank you for conducting this interview. I am truly pleased with the attention you have given to my work. What I would like to discuss more with Iranian readers is their perception of Bulgarian literature, the country, and the culture I come from. Farid Ghadami has translated many contemporary Bulgarian authors like Zdravka Evtimova, Boyan Biolchev, Alex Popov, and many others, as well as one of our most prominent 20th-century poets, Nikola Vaptsarov, into Persian. Through his translations and his original works like the novel "The Commune of the Dead," he has created a delicate network between Iranian and Bulgarian cultures. On one hand, through his translations and collaboration with Iranian publishers for their publication, he has made Bulgarian literature and culture a part of Iranian literature. On the other hand, by writing novels like "The Commune of the Dead," he has turned all of us Bulgarian writers into characters in his novel. This is a rare phenomenon for the Bulgarian literary scene, one that is still unfolding, so I hope this paves the way for many exciting dialogues in our future.
The thirty-fifth period of the Tehran International Book Fair with the slogan "We Read, We Build" takes place in Imam Khomeini Mosalla from May 8 till May 18, and also online in ketab.ir .
