On Europe Day, Romania and Bulgaria

come closer through stories, flavors and literature in Bucharest

Bulgarian literature, music and flavors meet in Bucharest, on May 9, during the event „Bulgarian Stories in Bucharest”. Organized as a preview of the Bookfest 2026 International Book Fair, where Bulgaria is the guest of honor, the event invites the public to a friendly cultural experience, a space for dialogue about cultural neighborhood and mutual discovery between Romania and Bulgaria.

Symbolically held on Europe Day, Saturday, May 9, from 4:00 PM, at LondoHome (31 General David Praporgescu Street), the event opens a window to the cultural world south of the Danube and brings Romanian readers closer to contemporary Bulgarian literature, authors and traditions. The meeting starts from the idea that literature and culture can build natural bridges between societies that share a common history and geography, but that still have much to discover about each other.

During the event, there will be discussions about Romanian and Bulgarian literature, about translations and the circulation of books between the two cultural spaces, but also about mutual influences, common memories and curiosities that bring the two cultures closer. The atmosphere will be complemented by music and traditional Bulgarian dishes, in an informal and friendly setting.

The event brings together important names of the literary scene, who have already confirmed their presence, along with numerous readers who love the books of Bulgarian writers translated into Romanian, authors such as Gheorghi Gospodinov, Ioanna Elmy, Nadejda Radulov, Ivan Hristov or Gheorghi Gavrilov.

This exercise of knowledge between neighbors takes on significance in a context in which geographical proximity does not automatically mean cultural proximity. Romania and Bulgaria have often shared the European path, but geographical proximity has not always translated into in-depth cultural knowledge, and such meetings contribute to a more natural and deeper understanding, beyond borders, institutions and stereotypes.

The event, organized by the Headsome Communication Association, in partnership with the Bulgarian Embassy in Romania and the Romanian Publishers Association, is part of the program dedicated to Bulgaria, the guest country of honor of the 19th edition of the Bookfest International Book Fair.

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The 19th edition of the Bookfest International Book Fair will will take place at Romexpo between June 3 and 7, 2026. The visiting schedule is between 10:00 and 20:00, for Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, respectively 10:00-21:00, for Fridays and Saturdays.

The Bulgarian stand, created with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria and organized by the Bulgarian Book Association (BBA), will be located in Pavilion B2. At the stand, visitors will find a varied selection of books in Bulgarian, as well as Romanian editions of famous Bulgarian books. The project partners are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria, the National Palace of Culture – Sofia Congress Center, Bulgarian News Agency, Bulgarian Book Association (BBA), Sofia Literary Agency and “Reading Sofia” Foundation.

Contact person for the project “Bulgaria, guest country of honor”:

• Headsome Communication: Oana Boca Stănescu | +40 722 609 478, oana@headsome.ro