Alexander Arnaudov wins the Grand Prize of the National Literary Contest "Sea" 2026

Grand Award Ceremony of the 11th Edition of the "Sea" Competition

The eleventh edition of the national literary competition "Sea" concluded with an official ceremony. The prestigious event is organized by the "St. St. Cyril and Methodius 1985" Community Center, in partnership with the "Znatsi" Publishing House.

For another year, the competition has proven that it remains an inexhaustible source of inspiration for young authors in Bulgaria.

Who won the Grand Prize for 2026?

The Grand Prize was awarded to Aleksandar Arnaudov (27) from Sofia. The honor includes a statuette, a cash prize, and gifts, as well as the opportunity to have his own poetry collection published by "Znatsi" Publishing House.

Ranking by age groups:

• First age group (15-20 years old): First place went to Desislava Kehayova (17, Rudozem). Second place was shared by Nikol Andreeva and Mihail Naydenov, and third place went to Viktoria Andreeva and Kirilo Omelchenko.
• Second age group (21-30 years old): First place for Shirin Marinova (Burgas), second for Nina Zhelyazkova, and third for Nadezhda Ivanova.

The jury, consisting of Assoc. Prof. Ivan Hristov (chairman), Rumyana Emanuilidu, and Georgi Gavrilov, had the difficult task of evaluating the works of the rising poets.