Burgas will once again be the literary heart of the Black Sea region with the third edition of the Black Sea International Literature Festival, which will take place from June 5 to 8. The forum will bring together nearly 60 writers, poets, translators, publishers, literary agents and journalists from Turkey, Georgia, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria.
The festival establishes Burgas as a place for cultural exchange and international literary dialogue, and its mission directly supports the city's candidacy for European Capital of Culture 2032.
Highlights of the program include discussions on book markets in the Black Sea region, the international promotion of literature, and the possibilities for adapting books for film, theater, and audio formats. Special lectures will be given by Kukla McLehose and Katharina Raabe – some of the most recognizable names in European book publishing.
The festival program also includes a series of meetings with authors, including Andrey Kurkov, Teodora Dimova, Ahmet Yumit, Elizabeth Kostova, Rene Karabash, Nikolay Terziyski and Galin Nikiforov. The audience will have the opportunity to attend literary readings, professional panels and discussions with international participation.
One of the most attractive events will be the closing ceremony and literary reading on a boat in the Burgas Bay, which will bring together authors from different countries in an unusual and artistic environment.
The festival will begin with an official opening and literary reading at the Peyo K. Yavorov Regional Library, and some of the events will also take place on St. Anastasia Island.
PROGRAM
Black Sea International Literature Festival 2026
June 4–8, 2026
June 4
19:00 – Sea Casino
--June 5
09:30 – Meeting in the hotel lobby and walk to the port
10:00 – Departure for St. Anastasia Island
11:00 – Panel “The Black Sea Book Markets, a Turbulent Year”
12:00 – Lecture by Doll McLehose –
"Literature as a treasure hunt – discovering diamonds in unknown territories"
18:00 – Official opening. Discussion and reading in the library
-June 6
10:00 – Professional program
"Building bridges and sharing experiences"
10:45 – Panel
"International Promotion of Literature: How to Make Our Authors More Visible?"
12:00 – Lecture by Katharina Raabe –
"Surkamp and the Literatures of Southeast and Eastern Europe"
14:00 – Panel
"The Other Life of Books - From the Book to the Screen, Stage and Audio Format"
14:00 – 18:00 – Meetings with authors:
* Galin Nikiforov
* Nikolay Terziyski
* Rene Karabash
* Andrey Kurkov
19:00 – Special literary readings for the Burgas audience
- June 7
10:00 – Discussion
"The Black Sea speaks of freedom – freedom of expression, freedom of publication"
11:00 – Panel
"How do we succeed in big markets?"
14:00 – 18:00 – Meetings with authors:
* Teodora Dimova
* Elena Vladareanu
* Ahmet Yumit
* Elizabeth Kostova
19:00 – Closing ceremony and literary reading on a boat in the Burgas Bay
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