Literature and Place
The first edition of "Literature and Place: International Creative Writing Retreat" will be hosted by Burgas on October 24 and 25. Anneliese Verbeke (Belgium), Dr. Philippe Meersman (Belgium), Khairi Hamdan (Palestine/Bulgaria) and Emil Andreev will arrive in Burgas to meet and talk about writing fiction with Zhivka Ivanova, Kerana Angelova, Irina Papancheva and the Burgas literary community. The event is a project of the author Irina Papancheva, originally from Burgas, and is implemented with funding from the Culture Fund of the Municipality of Burgas and the Flemish Literature House Flanders Literature, and in partnership with the Znatsi Publishing House and the Izida Publishing House. "I have wanted to organize a literary retreat for years and I am happy that I will finally be able to do it in my hometown, thanks to the support of the Municipality of Burgas, the authors who agreed to participate, and their publishers with whom I partner. The meetings will be in the spirit of authentic sharing and the shortened distance between authors and authors, authors and audience, as in all other formats that I create. I hope that more writers from Burgas and the country will get involved," said Irina Papancheva. A special emphasis in the program is Burgas as a literary place. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about the history of the city and its authors over the years. The program includes literary talks, Salon de Culture - the cultural salon that Irina Papancheva has been organizing in Brussels for ten years - on the theme "Literature and Place" with readings by visiting and local authors, as well as visits to key literary places in Burgas. All events are open to the public and have free admission. Program October 24, 2026 10:00–12:00 - Conversation about literary creation with visiting and local authors From memory to fiction: integrating personal experience, (auto)biography and history into literary work Center for Contemporary Art and Library, 43 St. Cyril and Methodius Street 7:00 PM–10:00 PM - Salon de Culture: "Literature and Place" Conversation with visiting and local authors, and reading. Writer's House, 1 Vola Street October 25, 2026 5:00 PM–7:00 PM - Conversation about writing fiction The process: from idea to finished work Center for Contemporary Art and Library, 43 St. Cyril and Methodius Street
