Forty Stories, Two Earlier Books, One English Volume: Gospodinov's The Man With Many Names

Forty stories from Bulgaria now sit together in one English book. The Man With Many Names by Georgi Gospodinov was reviewed by The Guardian on 11 November 2026.

The collection is made up of two earlier books, both first published in Bulgarian. Bringing them together in one volume means English-language readers can now read the stories in a single place, rather than tracking down each book separately.

The English text is the work of Angela Rodel. A translator is the person who turns a book from one language into another, rebuilding its sentences, jokes and rhythms for a new reader. In publishing, the translator's name usually appears on the cover, but the job is a separate creative task from writing the original.

Rodel's work has been recognised before. Gospodinov won the International Booker Prize in 2023 for Time Shelter, and that prize was shared with Rodel. The International Booker honours novels and story collections translated into English, and it names the translator alongside the author, because the translation is part of what wins.

Gospodinov's work has also travelled beyond the page. Blind Vaysha was adapted into an animated film by Theodore Ushev, and the film was nominated for an Oscar, the Academy Award for animated short film. Animation is a long way from a bookshelf, but the story of how a book reaches a new audience often runs through adaptations like this one.

For a general reader, the practical point is simple. The stories are now in one English volume, and a reader can pick it up without needing to know anything about Bulgarian publishing or the prize circuit. The Guardian's review sets out how the collection reads on its own terms, and the book itself is available to anyone who wants to start at the first story.