site.btaProf. Mevsim: The Balkan Artist Must First Be Known by His Neighbours

The Balkan artist, before being known worldwide, must first be known by his neighbours, Prof. Huseyin Mevsim, professor of Bulgarian language and literature at Ankara University, said during the unveiling of a memorial plaque to Bulgarian poet Atanas Dalchev and his brother Lyubomir Dalchev in the yard of the Consulate General of Bulgaria in Thessaloniki, Greece on Sunday. The plaque was erected on the initiative of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) and the Bulgarian Consulate in Thessaloniki. 

Prof. Huseyin Mevsim is the author of the book "Atanas Dalchev in Thessaloniki and Istanbul". 

"The history of literature is primarily concerned with the Chronos - the time in which an artist was born and lived. Equally important is the topoi - the place where an artist was born. If today we talk about the phenomenon of Atanas Dalchev, or Lyubomir Dalchev, I think that they owe much of this legacy to Thessaloniki - the city where they were born. The city where Atanas Dalchev spent his first four years, before he went to Constantinople or Istanbul, to spend four years there as well," he said. 

He stressed that he aims to track down the exact location of Atanas Dalchev's birth house, which has not been preserved to this day. 

Among those present at Sunday's event were: BTA Director General Kiril Valchev; Bulgarian Consul General in Thessaloniki Anton Markov; Victoria Dalcheva, daughter of Atanas Dalchev, and other members of the family; Prof. Huseyin Mevsim, professor of Bulgarian language and literature at Ankara University and author of the book Atanas Dalchev in Thessaloniki and Istanbul; Prof. Mihail Nedelchev, professor and researcher in theory and history of literature at New Bulgarian University in Sofia, editor of the two-volume book of Atanas Dalchev's works published by Bulgarian Writer in 1975, and author and editor of studies on the poet; Boyko Vassilev, journalist and presenter on Bulgarian National Television; Assoc. Prof. Georgi Lozanov, Editor-in-Chief of LIK magazine; and Iriney Konstantinov, actor with recordings of Atanas Dalchev's poems and Sofia Theatre Director.