Behind the Magic

When fate decides to play a joke on you, it does so with a royal flourish. An invitation from the president’s wife, a diplomatic reception in Moscow, meetings with publishers and opportunities that sound too good to be true. In this part, Firecurl’s story reaches Russia — quite literally — and…

The rupture comes from all sides: in the home, in the heart, in the writing. In 2005 begins a long descent into a personal and literary desert. The family falls apart, the publisher rejects the third book, the readers fall silent. This chapter is an anatomy of rejection and of resistance. With some…

At last, the recognition arrives. A literary award, readers, confident creativity. “Firecurl” becomes a symbol of a new kind of magic — one born not of spells, but of calculations, intuition, and childhood anger. At the heart of the second book lies a real chess match — and the inner triumph over…

In this chapter, the story of the “Forest” crosses the boundaries – and begins to live a life of its own. The first recognition comes from Bulgarian children, led by an extraordinary teacher whose inspiration gives rise to a fan club in a Sofia school. Then, as if from another dimension, appears…

What happens when a book speaks, but the author is not yet ready to listen? In this dense chapter, it is told how “Firecurl” finally finds its way to the first reader, the first publisher — and the first true recognition. But with fame come the illusions: the feeling of divine power, the drive for…

Sometimes stories insist on being written — despite the fear, despite the oaths. After yet another collapse of the gaming project, the author breaks the ban he imposed on himself for the first time and begins to write for real. Not with strategy, but with inspiration. And the story bursts forth —…

The third part is a story of false hopes, wasted money — and the miracles that don't know they are miracles. After an inspiring meeting with like-minded people in Bulgaria, the author embarks on an ambitious computer game project, which slowly turns into a series of disappointments. And yet, amidst…

Some stories begin with heroes. This one — with a crisis. And then with Paul Gauguin.The author returns to the world of lost creative promises and forbidden dreams. Inspired by Gauguin’s courage — and fate — he tells the story of his own rejection of art, of the vow never again to be a “violinist…

This is not a tale of inspiration. This is a story of escaping from it — and its inevitable return. At the end of the 20th century, between philosophy, business, and the silent crisis of a well-ordered life, a writer turns his back on his own dream, convincing himself that it was all an illusion.…