Alexander Kiossev
Professor of modern cultural history, author of books and studies on reading, Bulgarian literature, totalitarianism, and the post-socialist transition.
Mission
The mission of the “Center for Reading and Culture” association is to explore, develop, and promote the central cultural technique of the modern era – reading. We understand reading in the broadest possible sense, in all its forms and current hybrid manifestations, encompassing the full spectrum of diverse cultural competencies it requires. We view reading literacy as a pathway to cultivating a meaningful critical culture that bridges the past and the present.
Activities and goals
The “Center for Reading and Culture” organizes and develops various cultural programs, research projects, academic conferences and seminars, festivals, discussions, exhibitions, and public actions related to its mission, as well as to other current cultural, social, and educational issues.
Among the association’s key goals is to support the Ministry of Education and other educational institutions in developing innovative reading education programs. This includes partnerships and participation in networks of research, educational, and cultural organizations both in Bulgaria and abroad.
Another core goal is the collection and dissemination of statistical information on reading habits, leisure time, and cultural consumption processes in Bulgaria through the creation of digital channels for the distribution of cultural and educational content.
team
Monika Vakarelova
PhD in cultural history, coordinator of Sofia University’s Cultural Centre, researcher of visual culture and the cultural history of the 20th–21st centuries.
Ana Blagova
Journalist, translator and PR at Sofia University’s Cultural Centre, co-creator of the podcast “Urban Detective,” with studies in psychology and culture.
Alexandra Glavanakova
Associate professor of American literature and culture at Sofia University, author of monographs and studies on digital reading and transcultural identities.
Darin Tenev
Professor of literary theory at Sofia University, author of books on fiction, Derrida and Heidegger, translator from Japanese, English, and French.
Kiril Vasilev
Poet, art critic and curator, PhD in cultural studies, author of poetry books and winner of the “Konstantin Pavlov” National Poetry Award (2022).
Boryana Dimitrova
Boryana Dimitrova is an associate professor, PhD in sociology, a longtime...