Famous Bulgarian Poets

Hristo Botev was a Bulgarian poet and revolutionary. Widely regarded as a national hero by Bulgarians, Botev was thought to be ahead of his peers in his aesthetic, philosophical, and political views. An influential and important figure in the history of Bulgaria, Botev has several monuments, schools, football clubs, and stadiums named after him.

Ivan Vazov was a Bulgarian novelist, poet, and playwright. Considered the patriarch of Bulgarian literature, Vazov is best remembered for his 1888 novel Under the Yoke, which has been translated into more than 30 languages. Ivan Vazov is credited with writing the first Bulgarian fantasy poem and the first Bulgarian science fiction story.

Stefan Stambolov was a Bulgarian journalist, revolutionary, politician, and poet who served as the Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 1 September 1887 to 31 May 1894. Counted among the most popular and prominent founders of modern Bulgaria, Stambolov played a key role during the Balkan Wars; he helped initiate the cultural and economic progress in Bulgaria.

 Macedonian-Bulgarian writer, teacher and translator Grigor Parlichev is best-known for works like O Armatolos and 1762 leto. O Armatolos, written in Greek, won Parlichev 1st prize at Athens University Poetry Competition (1860). He held several academic positions, was an initiator of Bulgarian Men's High School of Thessaloniki, part of the Bulgarian Renaissance and since the late-1860’s wrote only in Bulgarian. 

Bulgarian poet Nikola Vaptsarov was also a Communist revolutionary. A trained machine engineer, he penned the iconic volume Motoring Verses. Starting his political journey as part of a worker rights movement at a factory he worked, he eventually died in the hands of fascists for his political activities.

Initially a teacher, Dimitar Miladinov later established himself as a major Bulgarian poet and folklorist. He was also a major pillar of the Bulgarian national movement, or the Bulgarian Renaissance. His collection of folk songs is also considered crucial to the growth of Macedonian literature and culture.

Kapka Kassabova is a writer and poet whose works have earned her several prestigious awards such as a Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the Highland Book Prize. Many of her books have also been shortlisted for numerous awards including the Baillie Gifford Prize, the Duff Cooper Prize, and the National Book Critics Circle Awards.

Iconic Bulgarian poet and playwright Peyo Yavorov pioneered the Bulgarian symbolist movement. He was also a major figure of the Macedonian uprising against the Ottoman rule. His initial works had a sociopolitical theme, but he later ditched realism. He was 36 when he committed suicide by consuming poison and then shooting himself.

Noted Bulgarian poet and author Pencho Petkov Slaveykov was part of the Misal circle of writers. He, along with his writer father, Petko Slaveykov, introduced modern literary ideas in Bulgarian literature. He spent his entire career writing the unfinished poem Song of Blood, which depicted the Bulgarian struggle for independence.

Bulgarian poet, translator, and journalist Geo Milev is mostly remembered for his epic poem Septemvri, which relates the brutal suppression of the Communist uprising of September 1923. He was assumed missing for years, until it was revealed that he had been strangled and thrown into a mass grave during the 1925 purge.

Yordan Yovkov was a Bulgarian writer best remembered for his 1927 works, Legends of Stara Planina and Inn at Antimovo. In 1929, Yovkov was honored by the Bulgarian Academy of Science with the prestigious Cyril and Methodius Prize for Literature. Many of his works have been adapted into feature and short films. 

Petko Slaveykov was a Bulgarian poet, folklorist, publicist, and politician. A multi-talented personality, Slaveykov also worked as a journalist, translator, and philologist. He also left his mark on various fields of study such as history, geography, and biography. Petko Slaveykov is considered the pioneer of Bulgarian children's literature and is credited with authoring several textbooks.

Dora Gabe was а Bulgarian Jewish poet best remembered for writing poetry for children and adults. Counted among the most successful and popular Bulgarian poets of all time, Gabe was honored with many prestigious awards. She also wrote travel books, essays, and short stories and many of her works have been translated into a number of languages.