On February 28, 1907, Emilian Stanev (pseudonym of Nikola Stoyanov Stanev) was born in Veliko Tarnovo - one of the most significant Bulgarian writers of the 20th century, a master of psychological prose, the animalistic story and the philosophical-historical novel.
His childhood was spent in Tarnovo and Elena. He was strongly influenced by his father, who took him hunting and taught him to know and respect nature.
He studied painting in Sofia with Prof. Tseno Todorov, and later finance and credit at the Free University.
He worked as a clerk and manager of a hunting farm before devoting himself entirely to literature.
Stanev is known for his ability to intertwine the fate of man with the pulse of nature and history.
He is the author of classic stories about animals, in which they are not just heroes, but a mirror of primal instincts and life force. Famous titles are “Wolf Nights“, “Chernishka“ and “When the Frost Melts“.
Among his most popular stories and novels are:
“The Peach Thief“ (1948) - one of his most emblematic works - a tragic love story set against the backdrop of World War I, successfully adapted for film.
“Ivan Kondarev“: A large-scale epic novel on which he worked for 14 years.
“Antichrist“: A philosophical and historical masterpiece exploring the spirit of medieval Bulgaria and the eternal questions of faith and unbelief.
For children: The beloved of generations “Through Waters and Forests“, “The Greedy Bear“ and “A Tale of a Forest“.
He died on March 15, 1979 in Sofia.