On Thursday, September 17, at 6:00 PM, the lobby of the "Prosveta 1888" community center in Pomorie will host a literary event. Burgas-based writer and journalist Vasil Lyutskanov returns to the city for the third consecutive year to present his latest book, the short story collection "Moon Vitamins" (Publishing Atelier Ab). The author describes the title as a metaphor for unrealistic expectations in life, linked to promises of an "elixir of immortality" or a "pill for eternal youth." Instead of these illusory miracles, Lyutskanov directs attention to the authentic, grounded experiences that each of us can discover along our own path.
Lyutskanov's creative journey in recent years has been marked by intense productivity. "Moon Vitamins" is his fourth consecutive book, following the collections "Our Souls Suffer Beautifully" (2022), "Oedipus's Third Eye" (2024), and the novel "Goodbye, Sea Bass" (2025). In his new texts, the writer takes readers to the seashore, where stories of war and empathy, love and transcendence, suffering and dignity unfold, seasoned with a dose of self-irony regarding transient human passions.
Acclaim for the publication comes from established authorities in Bulgarian literature and culture:
- Dr. Dobrina Topalova, who will present the book to the audience alongside actress Rumyana Kraleva, defines the work as "Burgas-style." According to her, the book helps the reader break out of the routine of the modern urban rhythm by listening to the "voice of the surf" and finding a balance between shared mutual connection and necessary solitude.
- Publisher Ana Boyanova emphasizes the author's mastery in building characters. She points out that Lyutskanov successfully combines realistic plots with subtle allegory, paying special attention to his insight into the emotional world and the psyche of women.
- Vanyo Valchev, a doyen of Burgas writers and author of iconic pop song lyrics, does not hide his enthusiasm for the sincerity of the stories. He shares that he found in the book life as it is—with its worries and joys—highlighting "Draka za smet" and "Olak iztarsak" as his personal favorites.
Vasil Lyutskanov's biography is closely tied to the sea, which he himself defines as his "greatest event." As a graduate of the English Language School in Burgas and Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" (majoring in Bulgarian Philology and Cultural Studies), he has accumulated solid journalistic experience in nine national newspapers, including a 15-year tenure at "Trud" newspaper. Having debuted as a fiction writer as early as 1987 with the collection "Return Trains," today Lyutskanov is a recognized author, a member of the Union of Bulgarian Writers, the Burgas Writers' Community, and the League of Bulgarian Writers in the USA and the World, having been repeatedly honored with awards for his short prose.