In August 2018, alongside Wind&Bones co-director Will Buckingham, I was writer in residence at the Sofia Literature and Translation House, Bulgaria.

The Sofia Literature and Translation House is managed by the Next Page Foundation. Next Page Foundation offers creative residencies in Sofia to international literary translators and writers. It also offers opportunities to editors, literary agents, publishers, literary managers, journalists and other professionals working in the field of literature and literary communication.

The programme aims to provide opportunities for professional communication with Bulgarian literary and publishing field, with the audiences and cultural life in Sofia. The international residents are introduced to the literary and cultural scene in Sofia as well as to new professional contacts. The residents have access to art and cultural events in Sofia, to libraries and research centres, along with the possibility of tailored professional meetings with key figures and cultural organisations.

The residents are expected to work on a specific project (translation, writing, research), to host at least two events at Sofia Literature and Translation House (workshop, lecture, discussion or a meeting with schoolchildren), to communicate actively with their colleagues.

During my time as writer in residence I wrote a series of short fiction and enjoyed networking with Bulgarian social activists and artists.

You can read more over on Next Page Foundation’s website here.