The setting: The Literary Hall of Zahariy Stoyanov publishing house. The time and date: January 19, 2006, in the evening. The table is not round, but we will have to assume that it is. Because knights are sitting around it. Friends, like-minded men, brothers in table ronde and the pen. They read each other's minds. One of them comes up with a remark, another finishes it off. It resembles a spectacle, but it is actually a real-life event on a given occasion.

In the public space the participants are eminent scholars, lecturers, good and acknowledged poets and writers. Prof. Boyan Biolchev, Prof. Georgi Bakalov, Prof. Valery Stefanov, Prof. Doncho Hrusanov, Prof. Stefan Stoyanov, Lyubomir Levchev, Dimiter Tomov had all gathered together at the premiere of the collection of poems by their colleague Todor Shopov. Among the fun-having group were also the President of the International Business School Lena Gaydarska, the journalist Todor Koruev, Prof. Borislav Stoev, Associate Prof. Tencho Kolev, Yany Yanev (Regional Governor of Varna until 2005).

It was not extraordinary that so many great names in different fields had gathered together (no wonder that chemistry, physics and space geometry proved susceptible to poetic measure), nor was it unusual that the lecturer in foreign language methodology had collected his poems in a booklet, or even the exquisiteness of Todor Shopov's urban impressionism (truly brilliant and surprisingly intimate). What was amazing was the genuine joy, the shared reciprocity, in which some pride transpired. Including in the host Ivan Granitski. He is not only the publisher of the book of poems, but also author to the curious notes called “editor's interpretation”. Not that they are a must to read, but just in case the reader fails to grasp the existential meaning.

I “plagiarized” the title from Prof. Biolchev, who mentioned that Todor Shopov was known among them as “the man of the unexpected remark”. And on opening the book, I avidly read everything in Sofia Verses in anticipation of the beginning of the premiere, so I got the point. Maybe the word is exactly “unexpected”. Unexpected images with unexpected words about unexpectedly familiar things.

Even if you don't like poetry, the enjoyment of this journey among the landscapes of happenings and discretely coloured emotions of Todor Shopov is worth reading, supplemented by the marvelous off-hand illustrations of Boris Dragolov. He completes this modern creative circle, illustrating in Indian ink the unexpected remarks born in the knight's lounge. When the knights exchange thoughts.

Associate Prof. Todor Shopov lectures in foreign language methodology at St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia. Over the last few decades, this interdisciplinary field of fundamental and applied research has made headway in Europe and all over the world. In Bulgaria Associate Prof. Shopov has also made his contribution. His works are popular among students and experts. His Foreign Language Methodology (2001) already has two editions.

His latest books “Understanding Babel: An Essay in Intercomprehension Analysis” and “Intercomprehension Analysis: A Textbook” are written in co-authorship (2003, 2005). Todor Shopov is also the author of a number of foreign language textbooks – ranging from for preschoolers to 12th grade pupils.

He participates in and leads national and university projects (VIR, Pedagogical Portfolio), international research and development projects (Tempus and Socrates programmes). His name is well known thanks to his activity in the European Language Center (Berlin), his work for Foreign Language Teaching magazine (Sofia), etc. In the past years he has also been involved in translations of fiction, poetry and historical literature.

Curriculum 2

I get my friends together -

the first is Hristo Belchev.

Then come Denkoglu and Garibaldi.

Count Ignatiev to the east,

Rakovski to the north.

Followed by Gurko,

Vassil Levski

and in the end I stand again

before the statues of

Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi.

I have always known them –

all my life.

Do you happen to know what Voposh Rodotae stands for? I did not, either. I found out about it from Prof. Valery Stefanov's preface. The ancient Voposh Rodot means “the flower of poetry”. “… a rare flower, even rarer than a four-leaved clover.” Read the name of the poet Todor Shopov backwards and you will see what Prof. Stefanov discovered.