JOANNA ELMY

Writer and journalist, with degrees in English and international relations. Joanna is among Bulgaria’s most prominent young literary voices. Her debut novel Born of Guilt received the prestigious Bulgarian national prize for emerging literature and was shortlisted for several other prizes. Joanna was recipient of the Per Aspera ad Astra scholarship for literature and is a fellow of the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation.

FEATURED BOOK: Born of Guilt. Tr. by the author with Angela Rodel, Faber, 2025. Contemporary history of Eastern Europe – totalitarian dictatorship, democratic transition and immigration Westward – through the fragmented stories of 3 female protagonists haunted by violence, addiction and the impossibility of finding a place to call home.