From June 5 to 8, the Black Sea International Literary Festival took place in the city of Burgas, Bulgaria. The festival featured literary readings and meetings with authors, including such stars of contemporary Bulgarian literature as Georgi Gospodinov, Kapka Kassabova, Katya Antonova, Viktoriya Beshlijska, and Zachary Karabashliev. The event was part of the city of Burgas’s program in its bid to become the European Capital of Culture in 2032.

For the international participants — delegations from Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Ukraine, and Turkey — the festival was not only an opportunity to showcase their literary scenes but also a platform for networking, discussing shared challenges, and exploring avenues for collaboration. Uniting Black Sea region countries around culture is a vital step that allows our literary voices to be heard internationally, counter propaganda, and support one another.

This year, the Ukrainian delegation included: writers Tamara Horikha Zernya, Halyna Matvieieva, and Pavlo Matiusha; translators Olha Soroka and Rayna Kamberova; literary agents Nataliia Miroshnyk (Vivat) and Viktoriya Matiusha (OVO); and representatives of the Ukrainian Book Institute — Olena Odynoka and Tetiana Petrenko.

“During the festival discussions, many observations were made that connect the experiences of Ukraine and its neighboring countries. For example, the lack of books from neighboring countries in the domestic market is not only a Ukrainian problem. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, countries in the region spent years filling cultural gaps with literature from the center. Now it’s time to turn to each other more — and this festival showed just how much we have to discover and support one another. Given the complex internal and geopolitical situations in our countries, we must unite and offer each other a helping hand,”
— said Tetiana Petrenko, Head of Public Relations at the Ukrainian Book Institute.

Participants from all delegations also emphasized the importance of small-scale fellowship programs, which provide writers, translators, and agents with space for networking, idea exchange, and mutual support — and which often prove to be a more valuable working experience than large literary festivals.

“The participation of Vivat Publishing in the Black Sea International Literary Festival was an important opportunity for professional growth and international dialogue. What was especially heartening was the presence of literary and political like-minded colleagues — the feeling of shared values and vision is truly empowering. It was a pleasure to meet familiar publishers and agents, to talk about their work with Ukrainian titles in translation, to hear their feedback and ideas. Equally important were the new connections: a warm personal contact is the first step toward effective collaboration. It is in such a welcoming atmosphere — where conversations are not limited to 30-minute slots but flow into sincere, in-depth dialogue — that ideas for joint projects emerge,”
— shared Nataliia Miroshnyk, Head of Foreign Economic Activity at Vivat Publishing.