We checked this claim: is it true that
author Zdravka Evtimova received the Peroto Literary Award for Lifetime Achievement at a ceremony in Sofia?
event announcements and published reports confirm Zdravka Evtimova received the Peroto Lifetime Achievement Award on November 2, 2026
Zdravka Evtimova wins top Bulgarian literary honor
Author Zdravka Evtimova received the Peroto Lifetime Achievement Award in Sofia for her career contributions to contemporary Bulgarian writing.
In a nutshell
Zdravka Evtimova received the honorary Peroto Lifetime Achievement Award during the twelfth edition of the national ceremony held at Sofia's National Palace of Culture on November 2, 2026. The honor cemented her dual standing as an internationally translated writer and a hometown storyteller rooted in Pernik, while ceremony organizers crowned winners across five competitive categories to set the stage for upcoming national book fairs.
Highlights
- Author Zdravka Evtimova accepted the honorary Peroto Lifetime Achievement Award in Sofia on November 2, 2026.
- The National Palace of Culture staged the event as the twelfth edition of its annual literary awards series.
- Organizers presented statuettes sculpted by Emil Popov across five competitive categories alongside the lifetime prize.
- The five competitive fields spanned prose, poetry, debut, children's literature, and foreign translation.
From the Editor’s Diary
Lasting international literary stature does not require abandoning home ground. Creative integrity often grows strongest when an author uses specific local roots to reach a global audience.
Who's involved
Zdravka Evtimova
internationally published Bulgarian author and translator
goal → secure lifetime peer recognition while advancing modern Bulgarian letters
National Palace of Culture
state-owned cultural congress centre in Sofia that hosts and administers the awards
goal → recognize distinguished authors and champion contemporary national writing
Evtim Miloshev
Bulgarian Minister of Culture
goal → represent the state ministry financing and supporting national cultural events
Emil Popov
prominent Bulgarian sculptor who creates the signature Peroto awards
goal → supply the physical statuettes presented to ceremony winners
In short
Bulgarian literature formally anchored its highest peer recognition at home on Monday as internationally recognized author Zdravka Evtimova accepted the honorary Peroto Lifetime Achievement Award in Sofia. The prize establishes her long career rooted in Pernik as a lasting model for contemporary Bulgarian writers navigating international reach without abandoning local identity.
The ceremony clears the path for featured titles and laureates to headline upcoming national book fairs, driving wider domestic readership and distribution across regional markets.
That market push is near-certain because the state-backed National Palace of Culture organizes both the annual awards and major literary trade expositions in the capital.
How it unfolded
Evtimova receives lifetime tribute at Peroto club
The twelfth annual Peroto Literary Awards opened on Monday evening, November 2, 2026, at the Peroto Literary Club inside Sofia's National Palace of Culture, where hosts formally named Zdravka Evtimova as the recipient of the honorary Lifetime Achievement statuette alongside nominees across five competitive literary fields.
Presentation ceremony concludes as competitive laureates emerge
Culture Minister Evtim Miloshev underscored Evtimova's cultural standing as the National Palace of Culture presented awards across five separate divisions, with national cultural press detailing the jury's selections the next morning.
Where things stand
The award presentations have concluded with full media verification, leaving no disputes or legal challenges over the honorees or the jury's selections. Coverage now pivots to spotlighting the winning titles and authors ahead of forthcoming national book fairs.