Yordan Velchev was born on 3rd April 1949 in Plovdiv. Master in History of the University of Veliko Tarnovo “St. St. Cyril and Methodius”. He worked as a historian, chief art director of the Regional Television Center – Plovdiv, editor of the magazine “Military History Collection” at “Voenno izdaststvo” – Sofia. He writes poetry, prose and essays. He is the author of the poetry books “Roman Stadium” (1979), “Night Alphabet” (1984), “Arcade” (1993), “Shine” (1999), “Collection of Meanings” (2017).
For “Siyae” he received the annual award of the Association of Bulgarian Writers for book of the year. He published the novels with prose “Old Plovdiv” (1983, in Bulgarian, English, German and Russian), “Anonymous Lives” (1987, 2009), awarded with the “Svetlostruy” literary prize, “Millions of small murders” (prose poems, essays, travelogues, 1997).
In 2005, his monumental work “The City, or between the East and the West 14th – 17th century” was published, in which, through the history of the Balkan imperial city (Plovdiv), he explores the man in the Balkans in the totality of the stories over the centuries of different but existing together in a united world peoples, religions, languages and cultures.
For this book, he received the national award “Hristo G. Danov” for his contribution to Bulgarian literary culture and again the annual award of the Association of Bulgarian Writers for book of the year. In the following years, he worked on his capital research in seven books “The Balkan Man XIV – XVII Century”, vol. 1 (2014), vol. 2 and vol. 3 (2015) – on the history of the Balkans and the man of the East and the West in the global context of world civilizations during the last two millennia to the modern era from the beginning of the 21st century.
A work about which the poet Ivan Teofilov wrote: “Without losing any of its scientific value, “The Balkan Man of the 14th – 17th Century” is read with the absolute feeling of a novel, a full-blooded novel, empathetic – albeit in a different genre, but with the same dignity – of the Balkan concerns of Andrich, Kazantzakis or Kadare.”
For this book, the author received the “Hristo G. Danov” national award for the second time for his contribution to Bulgarian literary culture. Yordan Velchev is a two-time winner of the “Plovdiv” literature award. It is the bearer of the badge of honor of the city of Plovdiv.
His works for translation into English, German, Portuguese, Hungarian and Russian.
Yordan Velchev is honored with Grand prize ORPHEUS for autstanfing achivemenents in poetry from the 6th International Poetry Festival ORPHEUS Plovdiv 2023.
