The "Stoyan Mihaylovski" Competition Honored the New Generation of Authors and Journalists

Saturday, 31 October 2026

Young authors and journalists who participated in the 19th "Stoyan Mihaylovski" National Literature and Journalism Competition – Ruse 2026 were honored today during a festive concert and formal ceremony held in the "Slavi Shkarov" Hall of the Revenue Building (Dohodno Zdanie).

The event, dedicated to the Day of the National Enlighteners (November 1st), was organized by the Municipality of Ruse and the Municipal Children’s Center for Culture and Art. The ceremony was opened by the Deputy Mayor of Ruse, Nikola Lazarov, who extended his greetings to the participants, their mentors, and the guests. In his address, Lazarov emphasized the importance of initiatives that foster the creative expression of young people and encourage their interest in literature and journalism.

The celebration began with a recitation of the poem "Enlighteners" (*Buditeli*) by children from the "Sladurite" (The Sweethearts) Theater Workshop, led by Yolanda Dimova. This was followed by a performance of the "Hymn of the National Enlighteners" by the "Slantse" (Sun) quintet, under the direction of Nataliya Konstantinova. The event was hosted by Yolanda Dimova and Rostislav Pankov from the "Sava Ognyanov" Drama Theater. In their remarks, they highlighted the significance of the work of the National Enlighteners, as well as the vital role of the written word, literature, and spirituality in preserving national identity.

This year’s edition of the competition featured two journalism teams and 73 young authors from across the country, who submitted a total of 95 entries. The entries were evaluated by a jury chaired by Neli Piguleva—a journalist, poet, and translator—with members Plamen Abadzhiev (publisher, writer, and manager of the Parnas Publishing House in Ruse) and Krasimir Manev (poet and public figure).

During the ceremony, the awards for the competition’s two main categories—"Literary Creation" and "Journalism"—were announced.

Krasimir Manev presented the awards in the "Literary Creation" category, while Neli Piguleva honored the individual participants in the "Journalism" category.

Samuil Marinov from Sandanski received the Jury’s Special Award for both the "Literary Creation" and "Journalism" categories. The Jury’s Special Award in the "Literary Creation" category was presented to Svetlozara Pencheva from the Gianni Rodari Creative Writing School in Ruse. Simona Kotomanova from Varna won the Stoyan Mihaylovski Grand Prize for "Literary Creation," which includes a cash prize provided by the Ruse – City of the Free Spirit Foundation. No Grand Prize was awarded in the "Journalism" category.

The program also featured performances by talented children from various vocal groups and the Ruschukliiche Folklore Ensemble, under the artistic direction of Neli Garvalova-Hristova, with assistant choreographers Angel Ivanov and Lachezara Garvancheva.

You can view the full list of winners here.

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