Report from Bulgaria

No matter how hard I try to remain calm, these words constantly come to my mind: “It was overwhelming!”

I know, I know, this sounds a bit cheap. And still I believe you’ll agree with me after you’ve read a bit more. Honestly: this journey turned into one of the most serious surprises I’ve been through recently. And one of the most pleasant ones, too …

It started rather modestly: two days at the spring book fair in Sofia. I signed a few books, spoke to several readers and got an idea about the newest trends in the Bulgarian publishing business. Routine. At this moment nothing indicated that more serious things are to be expected.

It was on the next day, the 20-th of May, that things started getting more interesting. My schedule book told me that at the afternoon I am having a meeting with the members of “the first Ghost Forest fan club”. I kept my expectations low although I was terribly curious. Who were those fans? All I knew was that they were children from the second and third degrees of the 12-th Sofia primary school. That was all.

Well, they more than surprised me! My, were they wonderful! First they asked me so difficult questions I had to sweat a good deal to answer them (they pointed out all weak points of the story I knew already – and showed me a few unknown ones at that). Then, to reimburse me, they gave me dozens of new ideas. I mean real usable ideas, not just childish stuff. I got material for at least ten further books. The top of it all was when they told me they liked the “Forest” better than Harry Potter! (Well, they certainly tried hard to flatter me.)

To put it brief – they made me unbelievably happy. I can’t remember when was the last time I experienced something as beautiful and authentic. Thank you very much, Stefy, Mirela, Ljubcho, Valjo and everybody else! Thank you again!

On the 21-st there came the next surprise: quite unexpectedly it turned out that a TV-reporter would like to make a short presentation of the book on the first channel of Bulgarian National TV. Mr. Todor Litovsky whom I met for the first time ten minutes before the interview was very professional and so were all of the members of his crew. The presentation was broadcast on the next day and looked very nice, at least to my eyes.

Two hours later – the first “official” reading (in the city of Plovdiv, which is about an hour and a half by car from Sofia!) It was a rather wild ride but I managed to appear without delay.

Again, I was very impressed. This time it was not just because of the children. The organizer of the event – Mrs. Villy Lazova, who is the director of the local library – is a person full of energy and youthful spirit, so having to do with her was very energizing. Then again, the children were great! It was the same atmosphere as in Sofia – many and many questions, then new ideas, suggestions, remarks, you name it ... At the end I was completely exhausted and they still hadn't got enough. Only my solemn promise that the second book will follow as soon as possible seemed to satisfy them a bit, otherwise I would have been lost, for sure.

Two days later, at the very 24-th, which is the Bulgarian National Day of Culture, there was a reading in my native town, Preslav. Here I was meeting people whom I’ve known for ages – and still they managed to surprise me. Dima Kjurkchieva – an acquaintance from my school years, who meanwhile works at the National Radio –, had invited a crew from the local TV and so it came to the next TV-presentation ...

Ok, back to the important things: they are really wonderful, those glowing children's eyes! The joy I see in them; the tension which grasps them when I read something form the “Forest”; the pride which fills them when I praise them for their suggestions! Children are the best audience I can imagine. There is no trace of hypocrisy in them, all they tell you is so real, so authentic! Had I written a book for grownups I could never be so certain about the authenticity of their judgement. But fortunately kids don’t play the games we play so having to do with them is so much easier ...

Meanwhile, back to Sofia, where at the 27-th was the next TV presentation (this time on the New Bulgarian Television), and at the 28-th – an interview at the National Radio. Then I visited the fan club again and – surprise, surprise! – they met me in their new “uniform”, the Ghost Forest T-shirts they just had gotten. It was only one thing which spoiled my joy – I had forgotten my camera and so there were no pictures from that meeting (although I got my personal Ghost Forest T-shirt). Well, next time …

On the 29-th – the flight back to Berlin. I left Bulgaria with very mixed feelings, it was both sorrow and great joy. And a lot of positive energy, too. Now I know why I write my books. Come on, Anne, we have a lot of adventures to come through! The fans want it!

Pictures from the journey