Bulgarian Writer Georgi Gospodinov Wins International Booker Prize for Darkly Comic Memory Novel

Yes, Bulgarian writer Georgi Gospodinov won the 2023 International Booker Prize for his novel “Time Shelter”. The book is a darkly comic exploration of memory and nostalgia, and it beat five other finalists to the prize. The International Booker Prize is awarded to the best translated work of fiction published in the UK or Ireland each year. The prize money is £50,000, which is split between the author and translator.

“Time Shelter” is set in a clinic that recreates the past, with each floor representing a different decade. The protagonist, a writer named Georgi, visits the clinic in an attempt to understand his own memories. He meets a variety of other patients, all of whom are struggling to come to terms with their pasts.

The novel is a meditation on the nature of memory and the power of nostalgia. Gospodinov explores the ways in which our memories can be both comforting and destructive. He also examines the role of nostalgia in politics and society.

The judges praised “Time Shelter” for its “originality, humor, and intelligence”. They said it was “a novel that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.”

Gospodinov is the first Bulgarian writer to win the International Booker Prize. He is also the first author to win the prize for a novel that has been translated from Bulgarian.

The win is a major achievement for Gospodinov and for Bulgarian literature. It is a testament to the quality of Bulgarian writing and to the growing international reputation of Bulgarian authors.