site.bta29th National Competition for Performance of Hungarian and Bulgarian Literature Kicks Off in Shumen

The 29th National Competition for Performance of Hungarian and Bulgarian Literature was opened outside the Vasil Drumev Drama and Puppet Theatre in Shumen on Friday evening, Shumen Municipality said. The Competition is organized by the Municipality and the Hungarian Liszt Cultural Institute in Sofia. A total of 112 participants will perform on the stage of the Vasil Drumev Drama and Puppet Theatre until Sunday.

At the start of the opening ceremony, the host, Stiliyan Stoyanov, introduced the official guests, the participants in the competition, and the jury, made up of Prof. Penko Gospodinov (Chair), Polina Nedkova, and Stefani Lecheva.

Shumen Mayor Prof. Hristo Hristov and Hungarian Liszt Cultural Institute Director Szandra Miskedi welcomed the guests and conducted a symbolic flame lighting, which marked the official start of the competition.

This year's edition of the competition is dedicated to the 95th birth anniversary of Hungarian writer Imre Kertesz and the 115th birth anniversary of Bulgarian poet Nikola Vaptsarov.

The competition is held under the auspices of the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture, with the support of the Municipality of Debrecen, the Union of Bulgarian Artists, the Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Budapest, the Popovsky family, the Lajos Kossuth House Museum, and the Vasil Drumev Drama and Puppet Theatre.