Svetoslav Minkov
Encyclopedia
Svetoslav Konstantinov Minkov (12 February 1902 – 22 November 1966) was a Bulgarian
absurdist fiction
writer.
in 1902 in a military family. His older brother Asen died in the Second Balkan War
, while his other brother Ivan, a member of the Bulgarian Communist Party
, committed suicide in 1925 to evade arrest by the oppressive Tsarist authorities. Minkov received his primary education in Radomir, and graduated from a high school in Sofia.
His sister Teodora introduced him to the Bulgarian literary circles of the 1920s. He published his first work - Newton's binomial in the "Bulgaran" magazine in 1920. He was later enrolled in a military college in Austria
, where he studied the works of Goethe, Nietzsche, Edgar Allan Poe
, Henrik Ibsen
and the Russian classical authors. Minkov was known for his eccentric character and suffered from bizarre, paranoid
phobias, pervasive obsessive thoughts and nightmare
s.
He studied at Sofia University
for a brief period of time before departing for Munich
in 1922. There he spent some of his best years, paying more attention to contacts with the local bohemians
than to studies. He came back to his native country in 1923, and started working as a librarian for the SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library
. Before 1942, Minkov visited a number of countries in Europe, Asia and South America. Between 1942 and 1943 he worked in the Bulgarian embassy in Tokyo
. After 1944, he began working in a number of Communist-oriented newspapers. From 1954 to 1962 he was a chief editor at the "Bulgarski pisatel" printing house.
Minkov died in Sofia on November 22, 1966.
. He is a unique figure in Bulgarian literature - his talent and style were largely isolated from the local literary tendencies of the 1920s and 1930s, and he had no followers.
His works primarily concern the loss of identity in the technocratic world, social uniformity under the influence of technology, the uncertainty of morality and values and the existential aspects of boredom
. Minkov vividly expresses his ideas by means of parody
, diabolism, sarcasm
and absurdism
.
He also wrote numerous tales for children, studies on Japanese culture, and translated the tales of Sheherezade in Bulgarian.
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
absurdist fiction
Absurdist fiction
Absurdist fiction is a genre of literature, most often employed in novels, plays or poems, that focuses on the experiences of characters in a situation where they cannot find any inherent purpose in life, most often represented by ultimately meaningless actions and events...
writer.
Biography
Minkov was born in RadomirRadomir
Radomir is a town in the Pernik Province of Bulgaria with a population of about 16,503. It is located at .- History :The town was first mentioned in a 15th-century source as Uradmur. The current form appears for the first time in a source from 1488...
in 1902 in a military family. His older brother Asen died in the Second Balkan War
Second Balkan War
The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 29 June 1913. Bulgaria had a prewar agreement about the division of region of Macedonia...
, while his other brother Ivan, a member of the Bulgarian Communist Party
Bulgarian Communist Party
The Bulgarian Communist Party was the communist and Marxist-Leninist ruling party of the People's Republic of Bulgaria from 1946 until 1990 when the country ceased to be a communist state...
, committed suicide in 1925 to evade arrest by the oppressive Tsarist authorities. Minkov received his primary education in Radomir, and graduated from a high school in Sofia.
His sister Teodora introduced him to the Bulgarian literary circles of the 1920s. He published his first work - Newton's binomial in the "Bulgaran" magazine in 1920. He was later enrolled in a military college in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, where he studied the works of Goethe, Nietzsche, Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
, Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
and the Russian classical authors. Minkov was known for his eccentric character and suffered from bizarre, paranoid
Paranoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
phobias, pervasive obsessive thoughts and nightmare
Nightmare
A nightmare is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong negative emotional response from the mind, typically fear or horror, but also despair, anxiety and great sadness. The dream may contain situations of danger, discomfort, psychological or physical terror...
s.
He studied at Sofia University
Sofia University
The St. Clement of Ohrid University of Sofia or Sofia University is the oldest higher education institution in Bulgaria, founded on 1 October 1888...
for a brief period of time before departing for Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
in 1922. There he spent some of his best years, paying more attention to contacts with the local bohemians
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
than to studies. He came back to his native country in 1923, and started working as a librarian for the SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library
SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library
The SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library is the national library of Bulgaria, situated in the capital city of Sofia...
. Before 1942, Minkov visited a number of countries in Europe, Asia and South America. Between 1942 and 1943 he worked in the Bulgarian embassy in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. After 1944, he began working in a number of Communist-oriented newspapers. From 1954 to 1962 he was a chief editor at the "Bulgarski pisatel" printing house.
Minkov died in Sofia on November 22, 1966.
Style
Svetoslav Minkov is considered a pioneer of Bulgarian science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
. He is a unique figure in Bulgarian literature - his talent and style were largely isolated from the local literary tendencies of the 1920s and 1930s, and he had no followers.
His works primarily concern the loss of identity in the technocratic world, social uniformity under the influence of technology, the uncertainty of morality and values and the existential aspects of boredom
Boredom
Boredom is an emotional state experienced when an individual is without any activity or is not interested in their surroundings. The first recorded use of the word boredom is in the novel Bleak House by Charles Dickens, written in 1852, in which it appears six times, although the expression to be a...
. Minkov vividly expresses his ideas by means of parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
, diabolism, sarcasm
Sarcasm
Sarcasm is “a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark; a bitter jibe or taunt.” Though irony and understatement is usually the immediate context, most authorities distinguish sarcasm from irony; however, others argue that sarcasm may or often does involve irony or employs...
and absurdism
Absurdism
In philosophy, "The Absurd" refers to the conflict between the human tendency to seek value and meaning in life and the human inability to find any...
.
He also wrote numerous tales for children, studies on Japanese culture, and translated the tales of Sheherezade in Bulgarian.
Selected works
- The Blue Chrysanthemum, 1922
- Clock, 1924
- Firebird, 1927
- Shadow play, 1928
- The House at the Last Lantern, 1931
- Automatons, 1932
- Heart in a Cardboard Box, 1933
- The Lady With the X-Ray EyesThe Lady With the X-Ray EyesThe Lady With the X-Ray Eyes is an absurdist fiction novel by Bulgarian writer Svetoslav Minkov, first published in Germany in 1934. It contains many sarcastic, parodic, diabolic and absurdist elements concerning the superficial nature of modern society...
, 1934 - Madrid is On Fire, 1936
- Tales in a Hedgehog Skin, 1936
- Guest, 1938
- The Iron House, 1941
- Youth of the Ape, 1942
- Empire of Starvation, 1950
- Panopticum, 1966