About this Event
Join the for an in-store event with author Georgi Gospodinov and translator Angela Rodel to discuss and honor the release of .
From the International Booker Prize–winning Georgi Gospodinov comes a volume of his finest short stories gathered over three decades.
Exhibiting a world-renowned author at his most playful and profound, The Man with Many Names captures the peculiarities of existence across forty tales set in and around his beloved Bulgaria, in and around this fading world.
On a train through the poppy-laden Balkans, strangers spend their time sharing stories only to be lost in translation. A lonely drifter becomes convinced he’s on television one frigid New Year’s Eve, his every move suddenly watched by millions. A girl born with two different eyes—one seeing only the past, the other seeing only the future—strives for the unattainable. A father hangs laundry between two cherry trees and sets off an absurd and historic series of events. What can we do in the last minutes of a dying sun? How will we recognize the faces from the final days? Lingering between these pages is a flaneur named Gaustine, a familiar trickster known to longtime Gospodinov fans.
The Man with Many Names echoes boldly through time and place, all the while remaining uncannily attuned to the profound nature of human connection—how one person’s single gesture can ripple through another’s life like fate. Masterfully translated by Angela Rodel, this is another wildly inventive contribution from “one of the indispensable writers of our times” (International Booker Prize Jury).
Georgi Gospodinov is the recipient of the International Booker Prize and the Premio Strega, among many other accolades. He lives in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Translator Angela Rodel won the International Booker for translation and has received honors such as the PEN Translation Fund Grant. She lives in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The Transnational Literature Series at Brookline Booksmith
The Transnational Series focuses on stories of migration, the intersection of politics and literature, and works in translation and is supported by the independent bookstore Brookline Booksmith. Subscribe to the Transnational Series newsletter for information on upcoming events, book recommendations, and more.
What You Need to Know to Attend
RSVP to let us know you're coming! RSVPs don't guarantee a seat, but you'll be alerted to important details about the program, including safety requirements, cancellations, and book signing updates.
Reserve a Book
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Livestream!
Barring technical difficulty, this event will be livestreamed to our store YouTube channel.
Event Accesibility
This event will take place at street level. If possible, the event will be livestreamed to YouTube. ASL interpretation may be provided (based on the availability of interpreters) but must be requested at least 2 weeks in advance of the event. Seats are limited. Please email [email protected] as soon as possible if you require ASL interpretation, guaranteed seating, or other accommodations. We will do our best to serve your needs!
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING COVID & IN-PERSON EVENTS:
Please note that any Brookline Booksmith in-person event may be canceled by the bookstore, publisher, or author based on concerns about health and safety around the time of the event. Wherever possible, any in-person appearance canceled due to COVID will be moved to the Brookline Booksmith Zoom as a webinar at the same date and time, and all tickets and registrations will be transferred to the online event. Book signing details may change. Refunds may be requested in the case of a virtual pivot or event cancelation.
Event venue & nearby stays
Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard Street, Brookline, United States
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