Mirela Ivanova became the winner of the Grand Prize “Orpheus” for poetry – Agro Plovdiv – 2024-05-10 12:01:55

The Bulgarian poetess Mirela Ivanova is the bearer of the Great Orpheus Award from the Seventh Edition of the International Poetry Festival “Orpheus” – Plovdiv. The prize was presented by the Deputy Mayor for Culture, Archeology and Tourism of Plovdiv Municipality Plamen Panov during the official opening in the Small Early Christian Basilica in Plovdiv.

At the beginning of the ceremony, a tribute was paid to the memory of the great Bulgarian writer Zdravko Popov, who left us a few days ago.

The opening ceremony began with welcoming words from the organizer Anton Baev and Deputy Mayor Plamen Panov, after which the 12 participants were introduced, who read in their native language and translated into Bulgarian. This year, Daria Žilić from Croatia, Ivanka Radmanović from Serbia, Yozcan Yunliu from Turkey, Kadrije Jesur from Turkey, Mirela Ivanova from Bulgaria, Nikolina Andova from North Macedonia, Olimbi Velaj from Albania, Petar Kraevski from Bulgaria, Radka Rubilina from the Czech Republic are taking part in the festival this year. , Sonja Zubovic from Croatia, Francisco Morales Lomas from Spain and Juraj Kunjak from Slovakia.

„I would like to specially congratulate Mr. Anton Baev, thank him and wish him to continue to have the energy to make this wonderful festival. We will stand firmly behind him, because in his person we see a like-minded person. Have a good time at the festival and let Plovdiv be a special place for all foreign participants that inspires them”said Deputy Mayor Plamen Panov during the opening of the festival.

The Grand Prize “Orpheus” for outstanding contribution to poetry this year was awarded to the Bulgarian poetess Mirela Ivanova.

The award is extraordinary and is given for outstanding achievements in poetry. Until now, its bearers are the American poet George Wallace, the Bulgarian poets Zlatomir Zlatanov and Georgi Gospodinov, the Turkish poet Ataol Behramoglu, and the Plovdiv poet and researcher of the centuries-old history of the city Yordan Velchev.

Today, May 10, the festival continues at 5 p.m., in the Small Basilica of Plovdiv with a Writers’ Forum.

From 18:00 in the Small Basilica is the final reading and presentation of the MFP “Orpheus” awards in 4 different categories: “Orpheus” Award for overall performance; Orpheus’ Lyre Award for Best Poem; Eurydice Award for Best Love Poem; In the Footsteps of Orpheus Award for Best Essay on The Figure of Orpheus – Between Myth and Moment.

All events have free entry.

MFP “Orpheus” Plovdiv is a creative product of the “Plovdiv LIK” foundation and is implemented with the support of the municipality of Plovdiv as part of the city’s Cultural Calendar for 2024.

Here is a poem by Mirela Ivanova:

Acquaintance

Born in May. On ediaisti. In Sofia.
Once at the tram stop Don Quixote met her.
There is no merit to society,
except one – loves others,
he loves them devotedly and for no reason.
He meets a lot of people –
she got away with even more.
Solves the most hopeless puzzle –
how to stay to himself forever.
Sometimes the letters do not come out, horizontally or vertically.
She travels alone, everywhere, often.
He works in the Committee on Suffering Things,
believes in words and in a solemn love heart attack.
Locked in her room, she listens to Okudzhava for days.
She is lonely and will die like that.
The verbal mill will one day grind her –
that one-way Mirela, that one-way Mirela.