Gospodinov's novel Time Shelter won the Premio Strega Europeo

Bulgarian writer Georgi Gospodinov is the winner of the most prestigious Italian literary award Premio Strega Europeo. He is the first Bulgarian and the first writer from Eastern Europe to receive it. The award was presented at a ceremony in Turin on 17 October as the final highlight of the International Book Fair - one of Italy's biggest literary events.

The novel Time Shelter won in competition with four other books by prestigious authors such as Goncourt winner Hervé Le Tellier, German writer Anne Weber - winner of the German Prize for Literature, Romanian legend Ana Blandiana.

Georgi Gospodinov's book was chosen by a jury of 20 Italian writers who were Strega winners and finalists over the years. Time Shelter came out in Italy in June published by Voland and translated by Giuseppe Dell Agata, who was also honored for his translation work.

Italy's most prestigious literary prize the Strega was founded soon after the war, in 1947. It’s reputation was built by writers like Cesare Pavese, Alberto Moravia, Dino Buzzati, Primo Levi, who were winners over the years. Umberto Eco received the prize in 1981 for his novel The Name of the Rose.

In 2014 the Strega Foundation decided to create a European edition of the prize - Premio Strega Europeo. The five nominees each year are chosen among the European writers who have been translated in Italy and have got significant recognition in their native countries.