A Moment Short of Perfection - by Kristin Dimitrova (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Dimitrova suggests through vivid, sometimes ironic imagery that our life is imperfect, but we don't have a better one.

Kristin Dimitrova seems to want to stop time, to make us notice how important the things we consider trivial or coincidental truly are; to remind us of the inexplicable mystery we are part of; to gently suggest that we return the love of those close to us; to offer us snapshots of our fleeting sensations; to bring back the sharp awareness of the pain that comes with life's transience. Her poems subtly remind us that life, while it still flows, is imperfect -- and the moment short of perfection is precisely what we should be grateful for.

Review Quotes

Praise for Kristin Dimitrova:

"Kristin Dimitrova is an accomplished poet, one of the most defining ones of her generation."--Marlene Smits, Sofia News

"I was immediately impressed by Kristin Dimitrova. There was something very refreshing about her work. She has a quirky, often dark humor, and writes in a low-key minimalist style, constantly reversing expectations."--Gregory O'Donoghue, Irish Examiner: Weekend

"Kristin Dimitrova is a contemporary Bulgarian minimalist, a feminist-fabulist whose work combines the fantastic and the prosaic. She of one of the most original writers to emerge in recent years from the 'New Europe.' She writes with a deceptively simple, playful, light touch, teasing the reader with faux-folk-wisdom and unexpected, bathetic endings. Oblique, subtle and witty, her poems creep up on her subjects from behind, demonstrating that looking at something sideways is not the same as avoiding the issue."--Andy Croft, Morning Star

"Kristín Dimitrova, one of the most outstanding poets of contemporary Bulgarian poetry, explores in these seemingly tranquil poems themes such as family life, everyday urban scenes, travel as an escape from oneself, indifference to the suffering of others as the worst form of alienation, and the memory of lost love. Nothing escapes her gaze, which observes the world around her in order to embrace it as part of the contradictions inherent to the human condition."--Zenda

About the Author

Kristin Dimitrova is a poet, writer and translator. She is the author of eight books of poetry and six poetry selections, two novels, and three short stories collections. Books by Dimitrova have been translated and published in the UK, Mexico, Ireland, Switzerland, Chile, India, Belarus, Romania, and Czechia.

Dimitrova holds a doctoral degree in journalism and mass communications. She is a winner of seven awards for poetry, four for fiction, and two for poetry translation from English. Works by her have been translated into 29 languages and published in 38 countries. This is her first work to appear in English.

Tom Phillips is a UK-born writer, translator and lecturer living in Bulgaria where he teaches at Sofia University. His poetry has been widely published in journals, anthologies, pamphlets and three full-length collections while he has also authored around 20 plays produced in the UK. His translations of Bulgarian poetry have also been widely published. Prior to moving to Bulgaria, he worked as a journalist for arts magazine Venue and taught at the universities of Reading and Bath Spa.