Atanas Dalchev

Bulgarian poet, critic and translator (1904–1978)

Atanas Dalchev

Native name|

Атанас Далчев

Born| (1904-06-12)June 12, 1904
Thessaloniki, Salonica Vilayet, Ottoman Empire
Died| January 17, 1978(1978-01-17) (aged 73)
Sofia, People's Republic of Bulgaria
Occupation| Poet, critic, translator

Atanas Hristov Dalchev (also written Dalčev; Bulgarian: Атанас Далчев) (June 12, 1904 - January 17, 1978) was a Bulgarian poet, critic and translator. He was among the leading Bulgarian poets of the 1920s and 1930s. Dalchev was also a prominent translator of poetry and fiction from French, Spanish, English, German and Russian authors. He was a recipient of the Herder Prize in 1972 (for his overall literary work) and the Znak Pocheta Order (or Order of the Badge of Honor) in 1967 (for popularisation of Russian culture in Bulgaria).

Dalchev was born in Thessaloniki. His father Hristo Dalchev was a lawyer, who as an MP from the People's Federative Party (Bulgarian Section) represеnted Macedonian Bulgarians in the Ottoman parliament. The family relocated to Sofia in 1913 after the Balkan wars. In 1922 Atanas graduated from Sofia's First Men's High School.[1]

Atanas Dalchev's Herder Prize, 1972

In 1926, Dalchev published his first poetry collection called Prozorets (Window). After graduating in Pedagogics and Philosophy from Sofia University (1927), his next three collections were released in 1928, 1930 and 1943. In 1945 Dalchev was among the first writers to be attacked by the communist establishment in Bulgaria due to his allegedly bourgeois style and artistic concepts.[2] This led to a period of poetic silence, which was broken only after 1956. In the last decades of his life Dalchev created about 25 poems. Instead of successive volumes, his poetry was published in collections where the new works complemented his four pre-war poetic books.

Having entered the Bulgarian literary scene in the 1920s as a member of the Strelets (Saggitarius) literary circle Dalchev was an advocate of commensurating national culture with the values and artistic practices of modern Europe. His poetry and critical articles established himself as a leading opponent to symbolist aesthetics. His works are characterized by a strong emphasis on sensibility and the concreteness of experiences and artistic imagery.[2] At the same time they pose the question of the limitations of the material world, which lead to the popular qualification of Dalchev as a metaphysician in the concrete (метафизик в конкретното).[3]

In 1967 Dalchev published a small book entitled Fragmenti (Fragments) containing aphorisms, thoughts and impressions that originally appeared in various periodicals. Fragments established the author as a prominent aphorist.[4] Known for his nonconformism and despite his modest original production, Dalchev ranks among the greatest authorities in Bulgarian culture of the 20th century,[2] one of the most read and most readable Bulgarian poets, as well as the leading non-institutionalized Bulgarian classic author.[5]

He died in Sofia in 1978. In 1984 the Balgarski Pisatel publishing house released Dalchev's collected Works in Two Volumes, containing his poetry, critics, aphorisms and translations.

Poems and selected aphorisms by Atanas Dalchev have been translated into French, Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, German, Italian, French, Spanish, English, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, Arabian, Swedish and other languages in periodicals and literary anthologies.

## Short bibliography

[edit]

* Prozorets (Window), 1926
* Stihotvoreniya (Poems), 1928
* Parizh (Paris), 1930
* Angelat na Shartar (The Angel of Chartres), 1943
* Stihotvoreniya (Poems), 1965; 1969
* Fragmenti : Belezhki za poeziyata, literaturata i kritikata (Fragments: Notes on Poetry, Literature and Critics), 1967
* Балкон (Balcony), 1972
* Doors selected poems translated by Christopher Buxton, 2018

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Karolev, Svilen. "Atanas Dalchev." In Shishkova, M. & S. Belyaeva & M. Dachev, eds. Dictionary of New Bulgarian Literature 1878-1992. [In Bulgarian: Каролев, Свилен. "Атанас Далчев." В: Шишкова, М. & С. Беляева & М. Дачев, съст. и ред. Речник по нова българска литература 1878-1992.] Sofia: Hemus, 1994: 95.
2. ^ a b c Rikev, Kamen. "Because It Is Hidden..." The Christian Worldview in the Works of Atanas Dalchev. [In Bulgarian: "Защото е на скрито..." Християнският светоглед в творчеството на Атанас Далчев.] Lublin: UMCS Press, 2020: 317.
3. ^ Delchev, Boris. “Meetings and Conversations with Atanas Dalchev.” [In Bulgarian: Делчев, Борис. "Срещи и разговори с Атанас Далчев."] Literaturna Misal, no 3 (1986): 150.
4. ^ Igov, Svetlozar. Bulgarian Literature in the 20th Century: From Aleko Konstantinov to Atanas Dalchev. [In Bulgarian: Игов, Светлозар. Българската литература ХХ век. От Алеко Константинов до Атанас Далчев.] Sofia: Benida, 2000: 251, 270.
5. ^ Kurtasheva, Bilyana. “Dalchev: Approaches.” Foreword. In Nedelchev, M. & B. Kurtasheva & Y. Eftimov, eds. Reading Dalchev. [In Bulgarian: Курташева, Биляна. "Далчев: приближавания." Предговор. В: Неделчев, М. & Б. Курташева & Й. Ефтимов, съст. Да четем Далчев.] Sofia: NBU, [2006]: 5-6.

## External links

[edit]

* Several poems translated by Christopher Buxton at christopherbuxton.com (last access: 21.01.2021)
* Works by Atanas Dalchev in Bulgarian at chitanka.info (last access: 21.01.2021)
* Atanas Dalchev reads his poems in Bulgarian (from the Golden Funds of the Bulgarian National Radio: 14.06.2014). Published: 15.06.2014.

* v
* t
* e

Herder Prize laureates

1964–1970|

* 1964: Oto Bihalji-Merin
* Jan Kott
* Stanisław Lorentz
* Lucijan Marija Škerjanc
* 1965: Tudor Arghezi
* Manolis Hatzidakis
* Emanuel Hruška
* Zoltán Kodály
* László Németh
* Hugo Rokyta
* Hristo Vakarelski
* 1966: Ján Cikker
* Dezső Dercsényi
* Zlatko Gorjan
* Aleksander Kobzdej
* Anton Kriesis
* Niko Kuret
* Dimiter Statkov
* 1967: Iván Fenyő
* Vladimír Kompánek
* Witold Lutosławski
* Spyridon Marinatos
* Alexandru A. Philippide
* Mihai Pop
* Svetozar Radojčić
* 1968: Constantin Daicoviciu
* Roman Ingarden
* Miroslav Krleža
* Ludvík Kunz
* Anastasios Orlandos
* Lajos Vayer
* Pancho Vladigerov
* 1969: Jolán Balogh
* Albín Brunovský
* Bohuslav Fuchs
* Mihail Jora
* Marijan Matković
* Ksawery Piwocki
* France Stele
* 1970: Jan Białostocki
* Jan Filip
* Zoltán Franyó
* Milovan Gavazzi
* Gyula Illyés
* Yiannis Papaioannou
* Zeko Torbov

1971–1980|

* 1971: Jiří Kolář
* Blaže Koneski
* Georgios Megas
* Kazimierz Michałowski
* Mihail Sokolovski
* Zaharia Stancu
* Bence Szabolcsi
* 1972: Dragotin Cvetko
* Atanas Dalchev
* Branko Maksimović
* Gyula Ortutay
* Jaroslav Pešina
* Henryk Stażewski
* Virgil Vătășianu
* 1973: Veselin Beshevliev
* Stylianos Harkianakis
* János Harmatta
* Zbigniew Herbert
* Eugen Jebeleanu
* Petar Lubarda
* Jan Racek
* 1974: Władysław Czerny
* Ivan Duichev
* Ivo Frangeš
* László Gerő
* Stylianos Pelekanidis
* Ján Podolák
* Zeno Vancea
* 1975: Józef Burszta
* Hristo M. Danov
* Stanislav Libenský
* Maria Ana Musicescu
* Gábor Preisich
* Pandelis Prevelakis
* Stanojlo Rajičić
* 1976: Jagoda Buić
* Marin Goleminov
* Ioannis Kakridis
* Dezső Keresztury
* Nichita Stănescu
* Rudolf Turek
* Kazimierz Wejchert
* 1977: Nikolaos Andriotis
* Riko Debenjak
* Emmanuel Kriaras
* Albert Kutal
* Máté Major
* Krzysztof Penderecki
* Anastas Petrov
* Ion Vladutiu
* 1978: Eugen Barbu
* Đurđe Bošković
* Kazimierz Dejmek
* Stoyan Dzudzev
* Béla Gunda
* Jiří Hrůza
* Yiannis Spyropoulos
* 1979: Magdalena Abakanowicz
* Ferenc Farkas
* Zdenko Kolacio
* Atanas Natev
* András Sütő
* Pavel Trost
* Apostolos E. Vacalopoulos
* 1980: Gordana Babić-Đorđević
* Iván Balassa
* Kamil Lhoták
* Manousos Manousakas
* Vera Mutafchieva
* Alexandru Rosetti
* Wiktor Zin

1981–1990|

* 1981: Emil Condurachi
* Sándor Csoóri
* Stefka Georgieva
* Dimitrios Loukatos
* Vjenceslav Richter
* Eugen Suchoň
* Elida Maria Szarota
* 1982: Athanasios Aravantinos
* Ana Blandiana
* Vojislav J. Đurić
* Sona Kovacevicová
* Aleksandar Nichev
* Jan Józef Szczepański
* Imre Varga
* 1983: Władysław Bartoszewski
* Géza Entz
* Jozef Jankovič
* Gunther Schuller
* Zdenko Škreb
* Stefana Stoykova
* C. A. Trypanis
* 1984: Emilijan Cevc
* Konstantinos Dimaras
* Karel Horálek
* György Konrád
* Constantin Lucaci
* Krasimir Manchev
* Krzysztof Meyer
* 1985: Branko Fučić
* Růžena Grebeníčková
* Adrian Marino
* Demetrios Pallas
* Károly Perczel
* Simeon Pironkov
* Andrzej Wajda
* 1986: Georgi Baev
* Tekla Dömötör
* Boris Gaberščik
* Konrad Górski
* Johannes Karayannopoulos
* Jiří Kotalík
* Anatol Vieru
* 1987: Roman Brandstaetter
* Doula Mouriki
* József Ujfalussy
* Vladimir Veličković
* Velizar Velkov
* Gheorghe Vrabie
* 1988: Roman Berger
* Christos Kapralos
* Zoe Dumitrescu-Bușulenga
* György Györffy
* Donka Petkanova
* Mieczysław Porębski
* Edvard Ravnikar
* 1989: Maria Banuș
* Ákos Birkás
* Jerzy Buszkiewicz
* Václav Frolec
* Nikolai Genchev
* Petar Miljković-Pepek
* Nikos Gabriel Pentzikis
* 1990: Liviu Calin
* Bronisław Geremek
* Aris Konstantinidis
* Dejan Medaković
* Virginia Paskaleva
* Adriena Šimotová
* András Vizkelety

1991–2000|

* 1991: Maja Bošković-Stulli
* Gerard Labuda
* Andor Pigler
* Yorgos Sicilianos
* Emil Skála
* Marin Sorescu
* Stoimen Stoilov
* 1992: Manolis Andronikos
* Jenő Barabás
* Blaga Dimitrova
* Stefan Kaszynski
* Jiří Kořalka
* Zmaga Kumer
* Jon Nicodim
* 1993: Vasilka Gerasimova-Tomova
* Petro Kononenko
* György Kurtág
* Jerzy Tchórzewski
* Răzvan Theodorescu
* Elena Várossová
* Māra Zālīte
* Dionysis Zivas
* Viktor Žmegač
* 1994: István Borzsák
* Dževad Juzbašić
* Ștefan Niculescu
* Andrzej Szczypiorski
* Jitka and Květa Válová
* Takis Varvitsiotis
* Zigmas Zinkevičius
* 1995: Sándor Kányádi
* Mirko Kovač
* Milcho Lalkov
* Michael G. Meraklis
* Mindaugas Navakas
* Wisława Szymborska
* Jaan Undusk
* 1996: Tamás Hofer
* Karel Hubáček
* Konstantin Iliev
* Marin Mincu
* Jože Pogačnik
* Pēteris Vasks
* Marian Zgórniak
* 1997: Tasos Athanasiadis
* Bogdan Bogdanović
* Oskár Elschek
* Ferenc Glatz
* Lech Kalinowski
* Jaan Kross
* Dunja Rihtman-Auguštin
* 1998: Imre Bak
* Andrei Corbea-Hoișie
* Eliška Fučíková
* Ismail Kadare
* Justinas Marcinkevičius
* Dorota Simonides
* Elena Toncheva
* 1999: Svetlana Alexievich
* Vera Bitrakova-Grozdanova
* Mircea Dinescu
* István Fried
* Henryk Górecki
* Dževad Karahasan
* Ferdinand Milučký
* 2000: Ján Bakoš
* Ivan Čolović
* Nikola Georgiev
* Imre Kertész
* Milan Kundera
* Karolos Mitsakis
* Arvo Pärt

2001–2006|

* 2001: Yurii Andrukhovych
* Janez Bernik
* János Böhönyey
* Maria Kłańska
* Marek Kopelent
* Andrej Mitrović
* Evanghelos Moutsopoulos
* 2002: George Demetrius Bambiniotis
* Māris Čaklais
* Péter Esterházy
* Radost Ivanova
* Nedjeljko Fabrio
* Aurel Stroe
* Lech Trzeciakowski
* 2003: Vasil Gyuzelev
* Drago Jančar
* Károly Manherz
* Stanisław Mossakowski
* Ales Rasanau
* Ludvík Václavek
* Ana Maria Zahariade
* 2004: Theodore Antoniou
* Michał Głowiński
* Dušan Kováč
* Fatos Lubonja
* Éva Pócs
* Kazimir Popkonstantinov
* Romualdas Požerskis
* 2005: Károly Klimó
* Hanna Krall
* Primož Kuret
* Jiří Kuthan
* Andrei Marga
* Eimuntas Nekrošius
* Krešimir Nemec
* 2006: Włodzimierz Borodziej
* Nicos Hadjinicolaou
* Gabriela Kiliánová
* Ene Mihkelson
* Vojteh Ravnikar

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Czech Republic
* Netherlands
* Poland

People|

* Deutsche Biographie

Other|

* IdRef
* Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template