Elissa Hess and her craft

Regardless of when it was written, it contains knowledge that is still vivid enough to make us reflect, amaze us, and shake us to this very day, and the sheer number of its characters could rival even the most comprehensive modern encyclopedia of legendary beasts and monsters.

What happens when we encounter ancient knowledge? Well, take a look at my work to find out!

Where will you go from here?

I am an independent Bulgarian author who writes under a pen name in Bulgarian and English in the genres of fantasy, folklore, horror, and speculative fiction.

I'm a member of the Union of Free Writers in Bulgaria and the Confederation of the Bulgarian Cultural Organisations and Activists Abroad - USA.

My debut novel, DIVNA, was published in 2024 and marked the beginning of the Nocturnal Creatures series, inspired by Bulgarian mythology and mythological figures. My short stories tend to wander much further afield, exploring rural drama, vampire tales, horror, fantasy, science fiction, and all those texts that don’t quite fit into any single genre.

Several of my stories have won awards in national literary contests. If you’d like to read them, head to the Stories section (link below).

I grew up on traditional Bulgarian stories and fairy tales, in which beauty and danger often represent two sides of the same coin.

The figure of the samodiva in my debut book moved me because of the myths and legends that surround her - the freedom, desire, fear, belonging, punishment, and the boundaries that society draws around people, and especially around women.

I seek and find a great deal of inspiration in folklore. It is timeless wisdom.

Award-Winning Works

My short story “Lucky” was included in “27 Stories with Cats” anthology by CharityBar

My short story “Christmas Mail” was included in “Stories from the End of December” anthology by CharityBar

My short story “Love Revolution” was included in the “Romance” anthology by Bukvite Publishing

My short story “The Prodigal Son” was included in the “Drakus” collection—Spring-Summer 2025—published by Gaiana Publishing

My short story “A Matter of Life and Death” was included in the 2025 “Albena” anthology, published by Svetovit,

following the contest of the same name organised by the “Hristo Botev – 1911” Community Center in Vrabevo,

the “Bulgarian Memory” Foundation, the Union of Bulgarian Writers, and the Municipality of Troyan.

My short story “Leit's Flight” was published in “A Window to the Soul”—Issue 11 of Y Magazine

2024 · ·First Prize · Prose - Strangelings Press
„Written in Blood“
„Eyes Wide Open“

2024 · First Prize · Prose- LitDesign
"Forgotten Language" National Contest
„Raiko's Bread“

2025 · Second Prize · Prose - Library "Rodina" - Stara Zagora
VII National Contest for author story "Hitar Peter and the artificial intelligence"
„Outwitting a Clock“

2025 · Special Prize · Prose - LitDesign
"Forgotten Language" National Contest
„The Last Alchemist“

2025 · Special Prize · Prose
II National Contest „Ancient, Distant, Deep“ 2024-2025
„Seven Blows of Fear“

2025 · First Prize · Prose - 18+ category над 18 г. - YouthHouse Vratsa
VI National Contest “Dandelion Wine in Winter” for a short fantasy story on the theme “Illusion of Dreams”
„Resurrected Love"

2026 · Award · Prose - Confederation of Bulgarian Cultural Organisations and Figures Abroad – United States
“The Fine Pen – 2026” International Literary Contest
„God's Raffle"

2026 · First Prize · Prose - BULGAKON
National Science Fiction Short Story Contest on the Theme “Beyond the (Un)known Shores”
„A hole in the fabric“