Contemporary Bulgarian Plays

Konstantin Iliev NIRVANA

Nirvana was short-listed i for The Gate Translation Award 2002.

Yordan Radichkov JANUARY

Stanislav Stratiev THE BUS RIDE

Ivan Radoev THE CANNIBAL

Included in this collection are four major works, each one a classic in contemporary Bulgarian drama. Offering a taste of vibrant energy and talent, they vary in genre and style but share a deep sense of humanness. This is their first publication in English:

Nirvana, a masterpiece by Konstantin Iliev about one night in the life of Lora and Yavorov, two iconic figures in Bulgarian cultural history, set against the backdrop of the violent wars in the Balkans at the beginning of 20th century.

January, an enigmatic and witty parable by Jordan Radichkov, set in a small rural community of eccentric characters forsaken in the depths of the winter at the edge of the world, who try to come to terms with the modern ways of life.

The Bus Ride, a surreal satire by Stanislav Stratiev about the journey of a group of people trapped in a bus and left to the mercy of a higher power, who are forced to rethink their lives.

The Cannibal, a harrowing but poetic metaphor by Ivan Radoev, set in an old people s home and highlighting the frustrations of the intelligentsia in the totalitarian state.