Gergina Balareva from Bulgaria is interested in contemporary Chinese literature. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

Gergina Balareva has translated and published poems by Xu Zhimo, a famous Chinese poet from the 19th century. When asked about her experience in the program, she said, “during the three-week program at the Chinese Academy of Social Science, the researchers offered me a book list from Classic of Chinese Poetry and poetry in the Tang Dynasty to tea culture, which will be helpful to my translation work. I believe that works by female writers, such as Bing Xin, Lin Huiyin, Zhang Ailing, Fang Fang and contemporary Chinese poems are worth translating. Sinologists in Bulgaria hope to work with the Creation and Research Department of China Writers Association to make Bulgarian readers understand Chinese literature, culture and society. I hope Bulgarian sinologists can lay a solid foundation for cultural exchanges between the two countries through translations of Chinese literature with the help of the Ministry of Culture and Chinese Academy of Social Science.”