A LITERARY EVENING "THE UNIQUE ATANAS SLAVOV"
WAS HELD ON OCTOBER 10^th, 2015 AT „SAVA DOBROPLODNI” REGIONAL LIBRARY- SLIVEN

  On October 20th, 2015, at 5.30 pm, at "Sava Dobroplodni" Regional Library - Sliven was held a literary evening entitled "The unique Atanas Slavov" dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the birth of Atanas Slavov - one of the last representatives of intellectuals - cosmopolitan and encyclopedic figures of the 20th century - unrelenting champion of freedom of thoughts and expression, a talented writer, publicist, translator, scholar, and public figure.

Atanas Slavov was born in Sliven on July 25^th, 1930. He studied at the American primary school / American Grade School / in Sofia until its closure in 1941. In Sofia, he graduated from high school and later in 1953 he graduated English Philology at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski".

From 1953 to 1965, he taught lessons in Russian, worked as a librarian at the National Library "St. St. Cyril and Methodius", participate in radio "Sofia" abroad, dealt with the mapping of the Rhodopes. From 1961 to 1971 he lead workshops in English in Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski".

In 1965 he defended his thesis on "Functions of the beat in rhythmic verses speech" at the Institute of Literature at BAS. From 1966 to 1974 he is Research Fellow at the Institute of Art Studies, where he founded the Department of Design and participated in the problem group to study the Bulgarian fine arts. Since 1974 he was a Senior Research Fellow in folklore and theory of the arts and folklore. From 1971 to 1974 he was a member of the International Scientific Group of the Polish Academy of Science in Comparative Slavic metrics. As an Executive Secretary of the research project entitled "Guidelines of world culture to 2000" at BAS he moved to the US, where in 1975-1976 he worked in the Department for International Research and Exchange in New York. In 1976 he settled in the USA.

As a literary critic, art critic, poet, novelist, translator, long before his emigrated to the United States, he contributed to the creation of the new Bulgarian culture. He had an undeniable contribution as a researcher of Bulgarian folklore and ethnographic values of Bulgarian crafts and folk art of Bulgarian villages and figures from Bulgarian history. He was also one of the first Bulgarian fiction writers. He has performed actively in screenwriting, art history, political science, philosophy, cultural theory, and semiotics.

After leaving the country he was condemned as persona non grata. He worked abroad as a freelance writer in radio "Free Europe" and BBC London / 1978 /, at "Woodrow Wilson" center studied the problems of the eastern cultures / 1979 /, at the State Department / Washington / as an instructor in Bulgarian language / 1980-1983 /, at the Center for language research in Maryland / 1983 / and the "Voice of America" as a radio scriptwriter, editor and narrator.

In the United States he began to write his memoirs, which first were read in Bulgarian, read by himself in 52 weekly broadcasts of Radio "Free Europe" entitled "Trails on Highway" / 1978-1979 /. In the US he founded a publishing house, which attracted many writers among Bulgarian emigrants; he got in contact with prominent American writers like Kurt Vonnegut, Graham Greene, etc. Some of his books were written in English. In 1986 he issued his memoirs in English entitled "With the Precision of Baths". The book was awarded by Legerete International Writers Union Book as the best autobiography for 1986; he published his verses / "Mr. Lampedusa Has Vanished "; "The Dough of America is Rising in Me" /; Under the pseudonym Al Santanahe published "Handling Vegetables" - grotesque-satirical prose. He devotes much of his time studying the life and teachings of Peter Deunov. He travelled and documented the places where Deunov resided during his studies in America. In his archive there is a solid collection of materials on the life of the Master, the theory and practice of the Universal White Brotherhood. In the US Slavov became a member of the American PEN club – in the section of writers in exile.

In 1991, the criminal case against him has been terminated. Atanas Slavov returned to Bulgaria and settled in his hometown of Sliven. After his return from emigration he was rediscovered for Bulgarian literature and culture for 20 years, until his death, and issued several new books of fiction, poetry, scientific papers, essays, the biography of Peter Deunov, etc.

In his last ten books published in English, including the masterpiece "Nights of Trenton", the global critics equated Atanas Slavov to Kurt Vonnegut, Milan Kundera, Umberto Eco, Vasily Aksyonov, and the Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk.

Atanas Slavov is a winner of many Bulgarian awards and honors, including “Stara Planina” Order, First Degree / 2001 / and the National Literature Prize “Dobri Chintulov” / 1992 /.

In 1992 he was awarded the rank of honorary citizen of Sliven.

He died on December 4, 2010 after serious illness.

            An overview of the works of the writer presented the literary critic Dimitar Bechev. Their memories about the man and the artist Atanas Slavov told the writers Hristo Karastoyanov and Lubomir Kotev, as well as his friends and relatives.

            A bio-bibliography entitled "Atanas Slavov" also issued in honor of the anniversary, edited by Dr. Rositsa Petrova-Vasileva was presented.  The directory is the first bibliographic edition, which in completeness reflects the overall creativity and multilateral activities of Atanas Slavov. It will be a valuable tool for students and researchers /literary critics, art critics, historians, cultural anthropologists, political scientists, researches of the region, etc./ not only to study the life and work of the writer in Bulgaria and abroad, but also of literary and social processes in Bulgaria by the end 50s of last century to present days and especially in the years of the democratic transition.

            The event was part of the program for the feast of Sliven - St. Dimitar’s Day.