Irina Papancheva is a Bulgarian-Belgian author of a children’s book ‘I Stutter’ (Ciela, 2005), the novels ‘Almost Intimately’ (Kronos, 2007), ‘Annabel’ (Janet 45, 2010), ‘Pelican Feather’ (Janet 45, 2013), ‘She, the island’ (Trud, 2017), ‘Welcome, Nathan!’ (Fast Print Press, 2019) and ‘Brussels, Naked’ (Znatsi, 2022), and short stories. Her debut novel 'Almost Intimately' got the audience nomination in the national literary competition South Spring (2008). 'Annabel' was shortlisted (2014) and 'Brussels, Naked' ranked second (2022) in the Contemporary Bulgarian Novel Contest of the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation and Open Letter Books publishing house at the University of Rochester. ‘Brussels, Naked’ manuscript was also shortlisted for the first Orpheus Prize. Papancheva’s story ‘Like a family’, based on a chapter of ‘Brussels. Naked’, was shortlisted in the Writers Festival of Belgium competition on the topic ‘Translating Lives’. Irina Papancheva’s works have been translated into English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Persian, and have appeared in anthologies and literary magazines. The Bulgarian Ministry of Culture has offered her a grant for the writing of her first short story collection. Irina Papancheva has taught creative writing classes in English, organised by the Bulgarian Cultural Association in Belgium. Irina Papancheva holds an MA in Czech language and literature from Sofia University 'St. Kliment Ohridski' and an MA in European Politics and Social Integration from Vrije Universiteit Brussel. She lives in Brussels where she works as a children's rights advocate.