Introduction
“Of all the literatures written in Slavic languages, Bulgarian is the oldest. Its inception dates back to the ninth century and its uninterrupted traditions begin at the dawn of Slavic literacy,” as Mateja Matejic points out. With Christianization of Bulgaria the important question has risen concerning development of the script for translation of the Biblical texts. Missionary work of Cyril and Methodius resulted in creation of Glagolitic and Cyrillic alphabet. It became a great impulse for dissemination of literacy among Slavs and moreover for creation of Bulgarian literature. The Cyrilo-Methodian section of this course specifically deals with the questions of contribution by Moravian brothers. (Please, see Bibliographies of Cyril-Methodian Studies in the section Resources for Church Slavic and Old Church Slavic.)
New Bulgarian literature with expressed idea of authorship and new national identity was “born” back at the end of XVIII century, while development of Bulgarian bibliography started in 1850s.
Conducting research in the area of literature does not imply limiting oneself just with literature resources. Broader sources could be a great help, although finding information there may be trickier. That is why it can be recommended to address first specifically literature sources: bibliographies, guides, encyclopedias, and then continue with general works. Finding aid in the form of indexes and tables of content can serve a great help here. Please for general resources consult our sections on Bulgarian Monographic Bibliography and Bulgarian Periodical Resources. One may also want to address Bulgarian National Bibliography section of this course which includes for example such important publications as Bulgarski knigopis continuing from 1806 to present days and covering monographs, periodicals and graphic materials.
Another part of the course describes Bulgarian general Bibliography of Bibliographies. Unfortunately there is no in existence bibliographies of bibliographies aimed specifically to the area of belles-lettres studies; information of Bulgarian literature bibliographies is scattered being included as a part in various sources, such as for example Istoriia Bolgarii do deviatogo sentiabria tysiacha deviat’sot sorok chetvertogo goda. Ukazatel’ literatury 1945-1958 (see below).
While working with particular authors scholar may want to consult Bulgarian biographical sources. The description of general biographic source South-East-European Biographical Archive = Sudosteuropaisches Biographisches Archiv.( 1997-) may be found on the page called Biographical Sources for Bulgaria. Sources devoted specifically to prominent literary figures are covered in this section.
Most of the resources reviewed below are in Bulgarian language unless otherwise specified.
Bibliographies
Suvremenni bulgarski pisateli
Comp. Petia Diugmedzhieva; Ed. Liuben Georgiev. (Sofiia) : Nar. bibl. Kiril i Metodii, 1972.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian reference 016.89181 D64s
This bibliography provides an extensive coverage of monographs and articles from journals and major newspapers published by and devoted to modern Bulgarian writers; it features approximately 250 names. Only authors born after 1900 are selected for inclusion. Work contains references to various editions of the literary works in the period between 1961 and 1971 as well as critical articles and reviews. Authors’ names arranged alphabetically, followed by date a birth, list of editions of published works including collections and selected works and concluded by reviews and literary criticism on the writer and his/her included oeuvres. Information was collected from such respectable bibliographic sources as Bulgarski knigopis (1961-1971), Letopis na periodichniia pechat’ (1952-1971), Novi knigi (1957-1971) etc.
Volume includes name and title indexes along with indexes of collections arranged by literary genre.
Lists of writers and literary works awarded with Dimitrovska prize and other prizes, such as the one of Bulgarian writers Union is included in supplement arranged by dates. Another supplement gives statistics of publications of various types of literary works.
Istoriia Bolgarii do deviatogo sentiabria tysiacha deviat’sot sorok chetvertogo goda. Ukazatel’ literatury 1945-1958
Moscow: Fundamental’naia biblioteka obshchestvennykh nauk (Akademiia nauk SSSR), 1962. 2 vol.
2nd vol. – Literatura. Isskustvo. Nauka.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 016.94977 AK3i
Second volume of collective publication (in Russian) by Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Soviet Academy of Sciences is devoted to retrospective history of Bulgarian literature, fine art and science till 1944. Works collected here were published during the period from 1945 to 1958. Vast resources of this bibliography are designed to fully recreate the picture of historical development of Bulgarian literature. Almost 168 pages of entries offer the following main topics: literary bibliographies (this section gives references to about 25 major bibliographies, encyclopedias, guides, primarily in Bulgarian and Russian), history of Bulgarian literary criticism, folklore, general works on history of Bulgarian literature, literatures by historical periods. Bibliography features citations for monographs, articles from journals and newspapers (!) in Bulgarian, Russian and more foreign languages. Creators of the bibliography pay close attention to the subject of Bulgarian literature studies abroad and particularly to Bulgarian-Russian literary connections.
Citations for the sources have additional information such as content description, references to other editions and often to further works on the topic. Literature on ethnography of Bulgarian people is given as a supplement. Bibliography is conveniently supplied by author/title and subject indexes.
Bulgarska khudozhestvena literatura i kritika; bibliografiia
Todor Popiliev. Sofiia: Nauka i izkustvo, 1957. vol. 1: 1944-1954.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 016.89181 P81b v. 1
This is a very useful bibliography for a scholar of Bulgarian literature and criticism published within 10 years from the events of creation of Narodna Respublica Bulgaria, between 1944 and 1954. T. Popilev scrupulously collected references to works of literary figures of major importance along with not very known authors. Bibliography includes monographs, collections of works, articles from journals and newspapers. First part has an alphabetical list of writers and their published works along with meticulously recorded critical responses; it is followed by the collections of works. Second part is devoted to literary criticism and is divided into major subjects, such as literary theory, foreign literary influences, literary forms, children’s’ literature, and section on reflection of major historical events in Bulgarian literature. The volume is supplied by name index.
Bibliografiia na slavianskoto literaturoznanie i folklor v Bulgariia
Series: Universitetska biblioteka. Sofiia : Sofiiski universitet “Kliment Okhridski.”
U of I Library Call Number: Main Stacks 016.8918 B471 1966/70; 1960/65; 1957/60; 1955/56
This multivolume serial publication, issued by Bulgarian Academy of Science and later by “Nauka i izkustvo,” is dedicated to International Slavic Congresses conducted in Bulgaria in 1958, 1963 and 1968. Bibliography is devoted to works on literary theory, history and criticism, as well as folklore of Slavic countries issued in Bulgaria in the period between 1955 and 1970. It contains primarily works of Bulgarian slavists, and few works of guest scholars published in Bulgaria.
Bibliography has major section (almost 1,200 entries) of monographs, collections of works, articles and reviews of Old and New Bulgarian literatures, including children’s literature. Both magazines’ and newspapers’ publications can be found here. Some of the entries have brief annotations and content description. Bibliography also features citations for many textbooks and teaching materials and their reviews. In addition, bibliography contains sections of Bulgarian authors’ writings on other Slavic literatures (Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Check, Slovak, Yugoslavian.) Useful section on folklore collections, and folklore studies (articles and reviews) is available here too. Bibliography is supplied with name index.
Istoriiata na Bulgariia v khudozhestvenata literatura: bibliografski ukazatel
Ed. ev. Vasileva, D. Pravdomirova. Sofiia: Nar. biblioteka “Kiril i Metodii”, Otdel “Spetsialna i preporuchitelna bibliografiia,” 1981- .
U of I Library Call Number: Main Stacks 016.89181 V44i (Part 1)
The first part of Bulgarian history in fiction contains citations of about 2000 titles of poems, short stories and novels, essays and memoirs which “illustrate the history of Bulgaria”, by Bulgarian as well as by foreign authors (in translated in Bulgarian) published independently or included in collections. All cited works appeared in print between 1944 and 1981. (Multiple editions of the same works are also included.) Cited works are selected from such reliable sources as catalog of the library of Cyril and Methodius, bulletin “Novi knigi” etc. Bibliography is designed for popular readers, librarians, and teachers, interested in selecting literature on Bulgarian history. Materials are organized chronologically by historical events – from creation of Bulgarian state to 1930s. Within each topic, titles are arranged alphabetically by author’s name. Some leading historical figures have separate chapters in bibliography. Few entries have brief annotations with historical content description. Bibliography is supplied with detailed table of content and with personal names index, geographical names index, index of types of fiction (short and long poems, stories, novels, plays, chronicles etc.) arranged alphabetically by author.
Bibliographische Einfuhrung in das Studium der neueren bulgarischen Literatur (1850-1950)
Peter Gerlinghoff. Meisenheim am Glan : Hain, 1969.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 016.89181 G31B
This bibliography is meant for beginning students and it does not strive to be complete. It includes information on the most important topics and meaningful personalities in Bulgarian literature in the second half of the XIX century. It is divided into two parts. In the first section are listed bibliographies, periodicals, collections, general works on Bulgarian literature, the fundamental works on literary theory and on the main periods of Bulgarian literature. The second section is devoted to the most famous Bulgarian writers: it includes bibliographies of their published works and bibliographies about them. This bibliography is searchable only through an author index.
Bulgarska khudozhestvena literatura na chuzhdi ezitsi : Bibliografski ukazatel, 1823-1962
Veselin Traikov. Sofiia : Nauka i izkustvo, 1964.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 016.89181 T68b
Prominent Bulgarian Scholar Veselin Traikov compiled this bibliographic index which covers 140 years’ history of Bulgarian literature translations in 65 foreign languages. Writers of Macedonian origins who wrote in Bulgarian (in the period before World War Two) are also included in the source. Bibliography contains large number of folklore works translations, as well as translations of individual works (poetry and prose), anthologies and collections; translations which appeared in periodical publications, journals and newspapers. Entries are grouped by language and chronologically within each group. Great feature of this source is list of reviews on translations published between 1944 and 1957 (!). In addition, citations for reviews of famous translations can be found in the main sections under title of work. Bibliography is supplied by 3 indexes: author index, folk works’ index, and index of translators, compilers, editors, and illustrators (in Bulgarian). At the end, there are statistical tables for publications between 1944 and 1957, and arranged by language and by specific countries.
Bulgarska khudozhestvena literatura na chuzhdi ezitsi, 1944-1957 : bibliografski ukazatel
Comp. by Veselin Traikov. Sofiia, Bulgarski bibliografski institut: “Nauka i izkustvo,” 1958.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 016.89181 SO23B
Another thorough bibliographic index compiled by Troikov and published by Bulgarian Bibliographic Institute. It covers translations in foreign languages published in the period from 1944 till September of 1957. (Before 1940s only a limited amount of Bulgarian literary works were translated in foreign languages.) Bibliography contains translations of individual works of about 80 Bulgarian prosaist and poets (655 volumes), as well as works of more than 250 authors included in anthologies and collections. This source is excellent for verification of anthologies and collections content, provided in great details. All the titles included are cited in content of poetic and short stories’ anthologies. It also covers publications in newspapers and journals. Compilers collect translations in 40 foreign languages. Folklore publications can be also found here.
Bibliography’s content is organized by language. It is supplied by 3 indexes: author index, folk works’ index, and index of translators, compilers, editors, and illustrators (in Bulgarian). At the end, there are statistical tables for publications between 1944 and 1957, and arranged by language and by specific countries.
Litterature bulgare en langues etrangeres; traductions, 1958-1964
Veselin Traikov. [Sofia] : Jusautor, [1965?]
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 016.89181 T68L
This concise bibliographic index chronologically continues previous one, covering publications in foreign languages in the period between 1958-1964. It is compiled by Copyright Protection Agency and contains 358 works of individual authors, 47 anthologies and some translations of folklore works. It is in no way as complete as previous bibliography, however it contains book cover look. In addition, 250 other translations, individual works and folklore, which have appeared in the period of 1944-57 are listed with language and year of publication.
Bibliography is arranged alphabetically by author, listing his/her works starting with original Bulgarian title, followed by list of individual translations in chronological order. At the end the language and year are indicated, as well as the translations published in languages using alphabets other than the Cyrillic or Latin; the translations of the works of the same author published before and published in Bulgaria.
Anthologies are arranged chronologically in 2nd section; folklore works – in 3rd.
Index of works by country of publication is provided.
Chuzhdestranni pisateli na bulgarski ezik 1945-1971: Bio-bibliogr. ukazatel
Comp. P. Diugmedzhieva i St. Ivanov ; Ed. Venko Khristov.
Sofiia : Nar. bibl. Kiril i Metodii, 1973.
U of I Library Call Number: Main Stacks 016.89181 D642ch
This source is in fact bio-bibliography which contains bibliography of translated in Bulgarian literary works of foreign authors in the period between 1945 and 1971 and biographical articles about them. Bibliography of translations which is often so difficult to locate presents primary interest. Collection begins with statistical tables and in-depth analysis of publications for specific foreign languages. Main corpus is divided into main sections: European literature, American, Latin American, Asian, and African literature and further arranged alphabetically by country names. Each country section contains general material, such as Bulgarian literary criticism on the topic, as well as collections of works, and followed by alphabetized entries on authors. The entry contains short biography and bibliography of translations. Multiple indexes are available here: indexes of authors’ names, titles of individual works and collections, index of translators, index of editors and compilers, and index of authors of reviews and literary criticism.
Literary Encyclopedias
Starobulgarska literatura : entsiklopedichen rechnik
Comp. Donka Petkanova ; Ed. Ivan Dobrev; Anisava Miltenova. Sofiia : Izd-vo “Petur Beron,” 1992.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 891.81703 P445S
This popular dictionary of Old Bulgarian literature contains articles on writers, translators, copyists in Bulgarian medieval culture from the period of VII century, the time of creation of Bulgarian state, to the beginning of XVIII century. In addition it gives much broader cultural material on paleography, historical events and personae, religious life. The covered topics include personal names of Bulgarian books’ authors as well as translators and book publishers, along with popular translated Byzantine authors and rulers who promoted literary works; titles of the works, original along with compilations and translations; literary monuments, overviews of major genres of old Bulgarian literature, literary and paleographic terminology descriptions, number of entries on symbols in literature (for example, “symbolism of numbers”), articles on major book keeping centers, and middle ages’ heresies.
Biographical entries start with writer’s first name followed by surname with indication of writers’ pseudonyms. Each article is supplied by excellent scholarly bibliography. It is divided in 3 major rubrics: 1) publications of old Bulgarian works, original and translated, in Slavic languages 2) translations into modern Bulgarian of old Bulgarian texts and 3) most important critical books and articles in Bulgarian and foreign languages. The list of bibliographic sources can be found in the beginning of the dictionary. Work is supplemented by the list of special and rare terms with their etymology and definition.
The authors of the dictionary did not include articles about scholars of Old Bulgarian literature. This topic is already covered in “Kirilo-Metodievska entsiklopediia” and “Rechnik na Bulraskata literatura.” This dictionary is a great addition to these major works. This is a great source for a scholar and popular reading for anyone interested in history of Bulgarian culture.
Literary Dictionaries
Please also see a section of the course called Biographical Sources for Bulgaria for the essential sources which include not only literary figures but other Bulgarian distinguished personae.
Rechnik na Bulgarskata literatura
Ed. Georgi TSanev. Sofiia: BAN. Institut za literatura, 1976-1982. 3 vol.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 891.8103 R243
3-volume edition of Bulgarian Academy of Science is a major undertaking which covers in detail 11 centuries of Bulgarian literature. Although not free from ideological bias, this source is one of the best and most informative till present. Collection contains 1,500 articles about Bulgarian writers, literary historians and literary critics, and translators. Separate entries feature important monuments of Old Bulgarian literature, such as “Asemanievo evangelie,” “Bolonski psaltir.” Most important anthologies and collections of modern literature are also included; others – can be found in a separate article on “Anthologies.” Literary periodicals are also described in separate entries, as well as literary groups and organizations, important publishers and publishing houses. There is a special article devoted to book illustrators. Dictionary also features overviews of literary genres and their history and separate entries for “Literary bibliography”, “Children’s literature,” “Bulgarian literature abroad.” Coverage of Enlightenment period has a broader representation of figures important for Bulgarian cultural development.
Entries are arranged alphabetically; those on personae are concise – they include biography, characteristics of literary work and followed by great bibliography of published works and thorough bibliography of critical works. Volumes offer good illustrative material: portraits, facsimile of manuscripts etc.
Dictionary unfortunately does not include any indexes which makes using it more difficult.
Biografii na bulgarskite pisateli
Ed. Ivan Radev. Veliko Turnovo : “Slovo”, 1994, 2 volumes.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 016.89181 B521
Two volume collection of writers’ biographies compiled by Ivan Radev includes articles on major contributors to a literary development of Bulgaria starting from the times of Cyril and Methodius and old Bulgarian writers and completing with contemporary authors. Entries on about 80 personae are included in chronological order and may be found with the help of the table of content. First volume includes tome period from IX through the end of XIX century. Second volume is primarily covers XX century.
The aim of this work is to present biographical essays on most important figures in Bulgarian literature, rather then give an exhaustive coverage. It also presents a new approach to many figures revealing new facts, not influenced by censorship, the flaw which earlier works of the type often have. Articles’ creator offers somewhat subjective approach trying to interpret biographical facts and find their connection with literary activity.
Index is not available.
Bulgarski pisateli: biografii, bibliografiia
G. Konstantinov et al. Sofiia : Bulgarski pisatel, 1961.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 928.9181 K837B; Also available in the Main Stacks
Konstantinov’s dictionary is the best single source of Bulgarian authors, medieval and modern, till beginning of 1960s. Differently from the previous source, it has much more comprehensive coverage of Bulgarian writers and poets including literary critics and historians as well. It provides in the vicinity of 1,000 entries and in addition supplies plenty of bibliographic materials. The authors maintain an objective and neutral tone and strictly factual approach in their concise articles. Each biographical entry is followed by chronologically organized list of author’s works and then alphabetized list of critical literature – monographs, articles and reviews – about him, published till August of 1961. While creators of the dictionary do not include every critical publication, they do select the most important critical contributions. Dictionary is organized by literary periods but it is not reflected in table of content. Table of content almost duplicates name index, which is also available. With the exception of this minor defect, this dictionary presents a great source of biographic information about rare authors and a very good bibliography.
A biobibliographical handbook of Bulgarian authors
by Mateja Matejic. Ed. Karen L. Black ; translated by Predrag Matejic. Columbus, Ohio : Slavica, [1982?]
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 016.89181 B52
This English source is a fruit of the cooperative efforts of American and Bulgarian scholars. It includes biographical articles on about 90 prominent Bulgarian authors chronologically arranged within major periods. Every article is supplied by the further reading including list of published works of the author, biographical and bibliographical, critical reviews in Bulgarian, and literature in English. Bibliography and list of translation is up to the date approximately to early 1977 with few additions for later years. Some terms and historical events are annotated.
Biografsko-Bibliografski Sbornik
Ed. G. Veselinov, K. Kuev, St. Stoianov. Sofiia: Sofiiskii Universitet “Kliment Okhridski”, 1968. 214 p.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 924.918 So23
This dictionary informs about Slavic studies of scholars from Sofia Universitety “Kliment Okhridski.” Published by Division of Slavic Philology at the University “Kliment Okhridski,” it is devoted to VI International Slavic Congress which took place in Praha in 1968. The collection presents short autobiographies and bibliography of research works of the faculty members from literature, linguistic and journalism departments. Thus this resource provides broader materials concerning the scholars of not only Bulgarian, Russian literature, and literary theory but also general linguistics, Bulgarian and Slavic linguistics, ethnography and journalism. Dictionary does not include former University members. Personae are listed by department name. List of publications chronologically extends from 1940 to 1967 and can serve as a good citation source.
Name index at the end of the book facilitates the search.
Rechnik po bulgarska literatura
Ed. Ivan Sarandev. Plovdiv : IK “Khermes”, 1999. 2 vol.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 891.8100922 R2437
This literary dictionary contains materials on more than 40 major Bulgarian prose writers and poets of second half of XIX-XX century. It is designed for a popular reader, teachers and students, and accordingly presents information in easily accessible form. Entries are alphabetically organized. Each entry contains short biographical article about the author, then general critical discussion of his writings, followed by articles devoted to the content of specific works – including prominent short stories and poetic pieces (!); entry is concluded by cited responses from critics and, finally, by the list of writer’s published works and critical literature for further reading.
Second volume contains a section with brief overviews of main periods in the history of Bulgarian literature of XX century (with the list of recommended literature), articles on main genres and styles in modern Bulgarian literature and common literary terms.
Index of titles and terms at the end of 2nd volume facilitate the search. Overall, it is a useful basic source on representatives of new Bulgarian literature.
Rechnik po nova bulgarska literatura, 1878-1992
Ed. Magdalena Shishkova , [Sabina Beliaeva, Miroslav Dachev]. Sofiia : Khemus, 1994.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 016.89181 R243
Compiled by collective efforts of the members of Bulgarian Academy of Science, “St. Kliment Okhridski” University and National literary museum, this authoritative source has much bigger scope of coverage for Bulgarian literary figures – prosaists, poets, dramatists, literary historians and critics, and journalists – between 1878 and 1992. Creators of the dictionary rediscover the authors whose work was previously silenced due to ideological reasons and suggest a different approach to the classics of modern Bulgarian literature. This volume includes in the vicinity of 500 concise articles with bibliographic and analytical information. Work is limited by information about authors and their books without special entries on literary magazines, trends and terms. Each entry is supplied by the list of writer’s published oeuvres and sometimes bibliographies and criticism.. (Articles are signed by creators.) Name index is available at the end.
Rechnik na bulgarskite psevdonimi : pisateli, nauchni rabotnitsi, prevodachi, karikaturisti, publitsisti, zhurnalisti
Ivan Bogdanov. Sofiia: Durzhavno izdatelstvo “D-r Petur Beron”, 1989.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 014.781 B63R1989
This is a third expanded edition of dictionary of pseudonyms by Ivan Bogdanov which features not only writers but also journalists, translators, caricaturists, political activists and scholars of various disciplines. Dictionary is divided into two major sections, analytical and synthetical. First one provides an alphabetical list of authors’ pseudonyms: pseudonym is followed by author’s real name, then by bibliographic note with indication when and where pseudonym was used. It is concluded by indication of the source for this data. Bogdanov used variety of sources, described at the beginning of the dictionary, such as bibliographic, archival materials, and research data. Compound names are not inverted but are used as they were published. Pseudonyms in the form of initials are incorporated in the list as well.
Second part presents alphabetized list of real names of the authors along with the short note on their primarily occupation and list of pseudonyms used by this person. This is an invaluable source for the authors of XIX-XX century (till 1989) whose names were hidden under pseudonyms.
Earlier editions of this dictionary published in 1961 and 1978 are also available in U of I Library. 1961 edition is circulating.
Periodical Indexes
The scholar of Bulgarian literature should not overlook multiple general periodical indexes, such as for example Letopis na periodichniia pechat’, Letopis na statiite ot bulgarskite spisaniia i sbornitsi, Natsionalna bibliografiia na NR Bulgariia. Seriia 5: Letopis na statiite ot bulgarskite spisaniia i sbornitsi, reviewed in detail in the section of the the course – Bulgarian Periodical Resources.
Bulgarska literaturna periodika; prinosut na periodichniia pechat v pazvitieto na bulgarskata literatura, 1878-1944
Ivan Bogdanov. Sofiia : Izd-vo na otechestveniia front, 1972.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 016.05781 B63B
This is a wonderful source for those interested in Bulgarian periodical history. This periodical index is devoted to the period between 1872 and 1944, the time of intense national literature development. It gives a consecutive history of Bulgarian periodical publications divided into two major periods – from 1878 to 1918, and 1919 to 1944. 216 periodicals, journals and magazines (newspapers are not included!), are present here – they are not only specifically literary periodicals but also general political and information sources which include section devoted to Bulgarian literature. Compilers selected for inclusion most important sources, some secondary publications are omitted. Publications are arranged chronologically. Each of them has a description such as place, dates and frequency of publication, editor’s name. It is followed by description of the rubrics and general characteristics of the newspaper themes and content, as well as names of the authors who typically were published here. At the end of each period there is a long analytical review of main cultural events and periodical sources.
Volume is supplied with great finding aid – index of periodical titles described or mentioned, index of publications by year, index of mentioned literary works or memoirs, index of editors and chiefs of literary publications, name index.
Subject bibliographies
Works of Bulgarian emigrants: an annotated bibliography : books, booklets, dissertations
By George I. Paprikoff. Chicago : S.K. Paprikoff, 1985. Chicago : S.K. Paprikoff, 1985.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 016.3058 P199w
This valuable bibliography is the first of its kind. Its creator, G. Paprikoff assembles and records the writings by Bulgarian emigrants published after the change of political power in Bulgaria in 1944. The scope of included writings is from 1944 to 1985 and the coverage arranged chronologically by year is worldwide and in many languages. Subjects covered by the bibliography are of a wide range, not only literature, but also art, history, politics, religion, medicine etc. Books, booklets and dissertations here are included with publication details and physical description and in addition with table of contents and illustrations’ information. Very short annotations are available also. Search of literary topics may be conducted the best with the help of author, subject, language, and country of publication indexes. Relevant entries in addition to writers’ names can be subjects “art, music, theatre,” “critique,” “novels, essays, dramas,” “children’s books.”
Detsko-iunosheska khudozhestvena literatura, 1944-1978: bibliogr. ukazatel v pomosht na rukovodeneto na detskoto chetene
Comp. Ivan Iordanov Ivanov; Ed. Lora Nikolova Ribarska. Sofiia : Nar. bibl. Kiril i Metodii, 1979.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 016.89181 D484
Present bibliography covers books for children and young adults published between 1944 and 1978. About 1,340 citations are selected for inclusion here, which is about one third of all the publications for children for this period of time. The volume is primarily designed for teachers and special collection librarians and principles of selection have clearly ideological background. Along with creations of Bulgarian authors, it is a good source for translated works. Works which received prizes or awards are marked with the star. Materials are arranged by topic starting with Bulgarian literature (collections of folklore, then authors’ works organized by form and genre), followed by Russian and Soviet works and literature of Europe, America and Australia similarly organized.
Citations are supplied by translators’ and illustrators’ names. Author name/title, title and illustrators’ names indexes facilitate an access to information easier.
Bibliiata i bulgarskata literatura
Ivan Radev. Veliko Turnovo : Abagar, 1991.
U of I Library Call Number: International & Area Studies Slavic — Bulgarian Reference 891.8109 R117B
Ivan Radev’s guide is an invaluable source for a scholar interested in Biblical references in Bulgarian literature of XIX-XX century. It describes or features fragments of short stories, novels, poems which include allusions to biblical texts and imagery, or their interpretations, or biblical citations. Although such a guide can not exhaust all possibilities of references, it covers a great deal. Guide is organized alphabetically by authors’ names. Each entry has a concise biographical note with brief critical comment on the character of religious imagery emerged in writer’s works. Then one finds name of the work and its fragment followed by citation from biblical text to which fragment has a relation. All citations from a Bible indicate book, chapter, and line.
Poetic works have particularly extensive coverage here.
Guide is supplied by subject index where each book of Bible is recorded with the list of names of the authors and their works with allusion to it. Pages numbers here are lacking, unfortunately. Author index is missing too which does not facilitate searching.
Chronology
Bulgarskata literatura v dati i kharakteristiki, 817-1965
Ivan Bogdanov. Sofiia: Narodna prosveta, 1966.
U of I Library Call Number: Oak Street Facility 891.8109 B63bu
The task of this source is to represent chronologically (by year and sometimes month) major events in Bulgarian literary development from its first steps in IX century to 1965. Significant cultural events, literary movements, birth dates of literary figures, important publications (poetry, prose, magazine and newspaper articles), history of journalism are present here. Every major literary period is preceded by a lengthy critical article.
Whenever year of birth or death for important literary persona is indicated, it accompanied by brief biographical and critical note. If exact year of event is not known, author indicates century or part of the century. When year of event is questionable it is marked with one star, when century – with 2 stars.
Chronology is supplied by lengthy list of bibliographic sources and vast corpus of indexes: name index, subject index, title index for Old Bulgarian literary monuments, index of annotated works and index of periodicals.
Whole using this source scholar shouldn’t forget about calendar change in Bulgaria on April 14, 1916, for as author points out some mix of dates can be found.