“THE URGE TOWARDS THE HORIZON”: MAN AND THE SEA IN BORIS APRILOV’S WORKS

Abstract

This article reviews “A Book for Boris Aprilov” (2025) by Maya Gorcheva, a monograph that offers a significant literary-historical reconstruction of the work of Atanas Vasilev Dzhavkov. Gorcheva’s study emphasizes Dzhavkov’s contributions to Bulgarian literature, situating his creative trajectory within the shifting political and cultural contexts of the periods before and after 1944, as well as the post-1989 transition. The monograph examines his journalistic output in the periodical press and his literary production across diverse genres, including maritime prose, children's literature, dramatic works, etc. Particular attention is devoted to the so-called “literature from the drawer” – novels published belatedly in the late 1980s and early 1990s – which engage with philosophical and existential themes and explore the dilemmas of the creative self. Across all genres – reportage, impressionistic sketches, short stories, novels, etc. – Aprilov’s work consistently affirms the profound connection between human experience and the sea, alongside the distinctive atmosphere of coastal urban life.