site.btaKostadin Kostadinov Presents Romanian Edition of His Novel "The Butterfly Hunter" in Bucharest

Speaking at the Bookfest in Bucharest on Sunday, Bulgarian writer Kostadin Kostadinov said a book is like a child. "A book has its own destiny because it resembles a child. It may be wonderful, but if it is not fortunate in life, it may remain forever in adolescence. When a text appears in another language, that child becomes a young adult and matures. Translators give a book a new life; they are like new parents," Kostadinov said, presenting the Romanian-language edition of his novel The Butterfly Hunter.

Joining him on the Arena stage at the Romexpo exhibition centre was translator Mariana Mangiulea Jatop.

Kostadinov said that the idea for the book came to him years ago when he read the memoirs of a Bulgarian anarchist from Macedonia. "In his recollections from the early 20th century, he writes about the island of Ada Kaleh. He states quite plainly that it was the realized ideal of the anarchists - an island of absolute absence of authority, forgotten by the neighbouring states after the Congress of Berlin, an island of people living happily. He describes the island in just two or three pages. That was when the idea took root in my mind to use it for a larger work. The idea matured over many years until I met another person who had a large butterfly collection. When those two seemingly incompatible things came together, without any help from artificial intelligence, the idea for the novel was born," the author revealed.

Mariana Mangiulea Jatop, the translator, read a passage from the book in Romanian.

She said: "I enthusiastically recommend this book to younger readers as well, because alongside its philosophical dimension there is also a first layer of adventure and travel. From that perspective, it is a captivating read that draws you in. It takes us on a journey not only through space but also through time." Jatop added that the text flows naturally and lightly like a calm river and contains fairy-tale nuances.

"The only challenge was the names of the butterflies, which I also tracked down in Latin. A specialist on the subject from Cluj was a great help to me. As a token of gratitude, I sent him a copy of the book," Jatop added.

Asked by a member of the audience whether the book is more of a fairy tale or a novel, Kostadinov replied: "Perhaps a fairy-tale novel. By profession I am a publisher, and for 35 years I have been publishing children's books."

At the end of the event, Kostadinov received a musical surprise when Gigi Marga's song "Ada Kaleh" was played.