I believe in well-made stories. I believe that fairy tales and storytellers are extremely important to the world. I am a storyteller and I always write about what I like the most. I like and love mythological tales of all people. These tales are also very interconnected. For me, it is extremely important that the person is captivated and enthusiastic about the story in general. I am sure that if from childhood you are infected with the enthusiasm of reading fantasy novels and fairy tales, before you know it your life will turn into a merry-go-round of heroic songs, wild wrists, swords, gifts and magic. And when a head is full of snakes, goblins and heroes, no vagaries of immediate reality can stop you from fantasizing. And no one can divert the subject in question from the path of calm and cheerful acceptance of reality. Because to invent worlds has become your daily need, and the real world is a purely fantasy world, because whether we like it or not - the reality begins as an idea in someone's head.

Why is fairytale fantasy so important to us adults as well as our children? Because it is the only known approach to deal with reality. There is no other working way. I will not stop repeating the thought of GK Chesterton, who says: "Make no mistake, children, from birth, know very well that "dragons" exist! The important thing that the magical folk tale teaches us is that 'dragons' can be defeated!'

Fairy tales are without a specific age group and this makes them universal. And we know very well that the fairy tale happened in reality. Once upon a time, at the dawn of humanity, people subjected young people to a religious-mystical induction into the lifestyle of adults. They called this introduction - "ritual of initiation". On reaching the age set for initiation into the ritual, the youths were sent to the forests. And now we can give them names: Thumbelina, Snow White, Goldilocks - the golden girl and Brother - the fawn, but also Harry Potter, Jan Bibian, Stoedin and Lira Goldilocks. In the forests of the world, the youth learned the beliefs and traditions of the human community. They were told by teachers-givers. And the sorcerers of the family subjected them to real tests, threatening their lives in a very real way. Finally, they were given a gift reserved for each of them – either a weapon or a household item (as well as magical gifts). The connection between every modern person and Palechko is due not only to a psychological, "but also to a much deeper, rooted in the dark layers of the blood" (J. Rodari) reason. And our Bulgarian fairy tales, songs and mythological realities are truly an incredibly rich source of both inspiration and specific plots for an endless amount of fantasy novels. Because they are a close, warm and important form for us Bulgarians. A form that can encapsulate a truly important and original content that every author wants to share with the world.

 

You can read the entire interview in Bulgarian at: "One of us shares..."