„We will build a world without war and hatred!” This is what the laureates of the Ninth International Literary Student Competition „Whoever saves a human life, saves the whole universe” declared from the stage of the International Congress Centre in Burgas. In the competition, organized by the Centre for Jewish-Bulgarian Cooperation „Alef”, 170 students from Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia, Germany, Latvia, Israel, Austria, Ukraine and Hungary competed with their own short stories on the topic „Extraordinary acts of ordinary people”. On 28th June 2022, at an official ceremony at the Congress Centre in Burgas, representatives of the state and local authorities, and of diplomatic missions, as well as prominent Bulgarian authors, announced the winners and presented the awards. Thirty nominated participants from various countries attended the ceremony. In the course of four days – between 26th and 29th June, in the framework of the first International Youth Literary Festival „Friendship – meaning and salvation”, organized by „Alef” Centre in Burgas, renowned authors like Georgi Gospodinov, Nedyalko Yordanov, Georgi Bardarov, Christopher Buxton, and Ivan Nichev, shared with the participants their experience in literature. Among the nominated, the jury – Bulgarian and foreign, determined the contest winners, while the awarding ceremony was the culmination of the festival.
The competition was held in two categories – for Bulgarian and foreign participants. In the category „Bulgarian participants”, the first prize was awarded to Militsa Ivanova from Varna for her short story „Noah’s ark” – a cash prize of 500 levs and a piece of plastic art. The second prize of 400 levs was awarded to Elina Ilieva from Burgas for her short story „At the doorstep”. Two third prizes of 200 levs each were also presented – to Teodora Bakardzhieva from Sofia for her short story „The Struma ship” and to Svetlozara Gledacheva from Plovdiv for her short story „When I was him”. All awarded participants from Bulgaria will have the opportunity to apply for a one-year scholarship by the Ministry of Education and Science, in accordance with the Measures for protection of gifted children.
This year for the first time, an audience award was also established – determined through online voting. Of all 4581 likes, the majority – 891, went for the short story ”Life” by Danitsa Kostova from Varna. Her award of 500 levs was provided by the budget of the Ministry of Culture.
Four prizes were awarded in the category „Foreign participants”. First prize – voucher for a week’s holiday in a four-star hotel in Sunny Beach was presented to Antonina Vasilevska from Poland, who titled her short story with the name of the competition. Two second prizes were awarded – to Nophar Eilon from Israel for the short story „Gertrude’s Diary”, to Kevin Horvat from Slovakia for a short story titled with the name of the competition. The third prize was awarded to Denisa Petrova from Slovakia for her short story „I was an ordinary girl who wanted to survive”- a cash prize of 150 euro.
The jury unanimously determined 9 additional incentive awards. They were presented to Konstantin Atanasov – Burgas, Merdzhan Bekirova – Razgrad, Viktoriya Plamenova – Kardzhali, Hyusein Adem – Karnobat, Nikola Kirov – Targovishte, Elitsa Georgieva – Burgas, Mila Mancheva – Sofia, Hristiyana Germanova – Burgas and Teodor Ivanov – Germany.
Two commissions took on the difficult task to select and distinguish the best works. The short stories of the Bulgarian authors were evaluated by Radostina Nikolova from the Ministry of Education and Science, the writer Georgi Bardarov, the poet and publicist Rumen Leonidov, the poet and journalist Asen Yordanov and Alberta Alkalay – chairperson of „Alef” Centre. The foreign short stories were evaluated by Vered Elron – cultural attaché at the Embassy of State of Israel to the Republic of Bulgaria, Dorota Fater – head of the Polish School at the Embassy of Poland, Ivana Marksfeldova – expert at the Political Department of the President of Slovakia, Sashka Zhurkov – publicist and publisher from Austria.
To support the idea, greeting addresses were sent by President Rumen Radev, the National Assembly, the ambassadors of the USA, Slovakia, Germany and Ukraine, by the districts governor of Burgas and the director of the American Jewish Committee in Bulgaria.
„This is not just a competition for good literature. This is a competition for a social position. It provokes young people to demonstrate great courage by going back in a time, which they have no generational connection with, in order to explore evil and to bring out goodness. They take on the role of explorers, they search for living witnesses from the time of World War II and the Holocaust, they tell about people and events, unknown to anyone until now”, briefly shared her impressions Alberta Alkalay in front of the large audience at the ceremony.
It was attended by Dimitar Nikolov – Mayor of the Municipality of Burgas, Mariya Gaydarova – Deputy Minister of Education, Tanya Petrova – Deputy Minister of Interior, H. E. Yoram Elron – Ambassador of the State of Israel to the Republic of Bulgaria, Małgorzata Hejduk-Gromek – Consul of Poland, Tanya Mihaylova – Head of the Diplomatic Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sevdalina Turmanova – Chairperson of the Municipal Council in Burgas, senior commissioner Kaloyan Kaloyanov – Director of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior – Burgas, writers Georgi Bardarov, Nedyalko Yordanov, Christopher Buxton, director prof. Ivan Nichev, representatives of institutions, the business and of various education structures, as well as students and citizens.
The awarding ceremony turned into a kind of spectacle. Presenters were Alberta Alkalay and journalist Georgi Toshev. Each of the nominated participants in the competition issued their own video message towards the attendees, while the members of the jury Rumen Leonidov and Dorota Fater summed up their impressions from the works of the young story-tellers through a video message. Under the musical accompaniment of 14-year-old violinist Olga Doykova, the actress Albena Pavlova read exciting passages from competition short stories. The young performers from Children’s Choir „Milka Stoeva” – Burgas also joined the message for a future peaceful world.
„Each year the stories are getting more and more exciting, human and touching, and I thank the young people who took part in our competition. It is a pride not only for Burgas but also for the whole country” ,stated Dimitar Nikolov – Mayor of the Municipality of Burgas, which is co-organizer of the competition.
The ninth edition of the International Literary Student Competition is held with the special support of the Municipality of Burgas and under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and the „Polin” Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw.
The competition facilitators are the Municipality of Burgas, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassies of Israel, Slovakia, Poland and Germany, the Polish Institute in Sofia, the „Polin” Museum of the History of Polish Jews, “Bulgaria” Hotel, “Primorets” Hotel, NephroLife Clinic, Tria City Centre, Port Flot Burgas, BMF Port Burgas, International Congress Centre.
Media Partners: BTA, bivol.bg
29th June 2022
