Deep Woods - Mythical Creatures of the Bulgarian Lands

Deep Woods: Mythical Creatures of the Bulgarian Lands is an award-winning, bestselling anthology born from my original concept of bringing together fiction and folklore in a single immersive book. Developed over more than two years of research, the project bridges traditional Bulgarian mythology with contemporary storytelling, making ancient legends accessible and exciting for today's young readers.

The book combines 13 original stories with richly illustrated encyclopedic sections presenting more than 40 mythical creatures and folkloric figures, all based on authentic ethnographic sources and Bulgarian legends. Each story is narrated in the first person by a child who encounters one of these mysterious beings, creating a personal and emotional connection between the reader and the myths.

As co-author, I wrote four of the stories (The Cold Well, The Thirteenth Floor, Blood Brothers and The Family Tree), and served as illustrator, graphic designer, art director and creative lead for the entire project. My illustrations introduce a graphic visual language that complements the painterly artwork by Svetla Radivoeva, former Walt Disney Animation Studios animator, creating a distinctive balance between narrative illustration and visual reference.

The book became the publisher's bestseller and received multiple national awards and nominations, including the Magic Pearl Award, voted entirely by children, and the Bulgarian Eurocon Award for Best Children's Book, representing Bulgaria at Eurocon 2025.