Literature Written by Migrant Bulgarians in the First Two Decades of 21st Century

Abstract

The article provides a panoramic overview of novels written in the first two decades of the 21st century by authors of Bulgarian origin who live abroad. At the start, the article discusses various choices of defining this literature: from emigrant (an already inappropriate term) through immigrant and migrant – to a new term proposed by Steven Kellman, translingual literature. Then, based on extensive information on dozens of authors and works from different countries across the world, a thematic typology is brought forth. It includes such strands as “our totalitarian past”, Bulgaria today, immigrant life from within, novels with ecological themes, fantasy reads. The article highlights specific approaches that dominate the works of authors with Bulgarian roots: autofiction, social satire, political grotesque, etc. It concludes with a summary of the presence, the preferences, and the achievements of these authors.