site.btaNovel by Bulgarian-born Dimitre Dinev Awarded 2025 Austrian Book Prize

Bulgarian-born Dimitre Dinev's novel Zeit der Mutigen (Time of the Brave) was awarded the 2025 Austrian Book Prize (Osterreichischer Buchpreis) on Monday evening. It was the most extensive work among the competitors with its 1,150 pages, according to Austrian media and the Austria Press Agency (APA).

Dinev was born in Plovdiv, South Central Bulgaria, in 1968. He settled in Austria in 1990. He has won numerous literary awards in Germany and Austria for his screenplays and books. 

The author recognized the award as an encouragement for all writers not to lose heart: "This is how great literature is born: Never stick to the market and conventions, never do what is expected, but rather break down prejudices. You never know when a book will push its way through."

Regarding the 13 years he spent working on his book, Dinev admitted in an interview for APA, right after receiving the award: "I always had the feeling that at some point I would fail. But, just like the moment of a person's own death, he cannot know when this will happen in advance, that's why he continues to write."

Handwriting, rather than writing on a computer, demands “a different type of discipline. When you handwrite, you only write complete sentences. It's a completely different approach. There is also a completely different physical aspect," Dinev said. "I was just afraid that one day I wouldn't be able to understand things I had written years ago. But then my memory came to aid me. And there are no memories on a computer. And there are no coffee stains either."

Dinev confirmed that the EUR 20,000 prize is very welcome. "The amount may be large for the cultural sector, but when you look at what even middle management gets for a month's work elsewhere, it's quite modest. But we, writers, are used to living on the edge. For me, the money means two years in which I can relax, in which I don't have to think about rent or making a living. That means a lot to me," Dinev added.

Recalling many events from Bulgaria's recent past was painful but necessary for Dinev while he was writing: "Memory is our foundation. Through memory, the past comes alive; otherwise, it would have no value. Without memory, you are not human. Without memory, there is no redemption."

The author said that he genuinely hopes his book will serve as a memorial to the victims of National Socialism [Nazism] and communism. "One of my deepest desires was that these people should not be forgotten," APA quoted Dinev as saying.