Programme: Recovery and Resilience Plan

The literary magazine Ah, Maria was first published in 1990 with a team of young poets and translators from Bulgaria and Greece. From its very first issue, it created a supportive space for debuting authors. Ah, Maria is the literary magazine with which an entire generation of authors and readers grew up.
The project Ah, Maria: A Magazine at 35 by the Bulgarian Literature Foundation aims to celebrate the magazine’s 35-year contribution to Bulgarian literature and culture by showcasing the latest generation of Bulgarian authors born after 1989 and debuting after 2010.
A key part of the project is the creation of a bilingual online platform that will allow an international audience to discover the new generation of Bulgarian poets, writers, and translators. The platform will feature original texts professionally translated into English, critical essays, interviews with authors, and audio recordings of selected works from the magazine.
The project also includes an active promotional campaign targeting a broad audience, including youth under 18, through meetings at schools and engagement on social media. Copies of the issue will be sent to active libraries in small towns, where access to contemporary literature is often limited.
Ah, Maria: A Magazine at 35 will be presented at two international literary festivals: Sofia Metaphors and the Patras World Poetry Festival, which are part of the Versopolis European network. Participation in these events will strengthen connections between Bulgarian authors and the international literary scene, supporting their integration into the broader European cultural environment.
The project aims to offer readers new and interactive ways to engage with Bulgarian literature, becoming a custodian of cultural memory and a source of inspiration for future generations of creators and readers in Bulgaria and across Europe.