Kapka Kassabova

Writers bio:
Kapka was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, and educated by two members of the poor intelligentsia and by a French college which allowed her to dream of going to France one day. Kapka flirted with Britain in 1990-1991 when her family lived in deepest Essex. But the feelings were unrequited, and the family emigrated to New Zealand. To practice her English, Kapka wrote a novel and some poetry. ‘Reconnaissance’ won a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Asia-Pacific. Her first book of poems won a NZ Montana Book Award. This was followed by another three books which didn’t win any awards. Her new book ‘Geography for the Lost’ is out 2007.

Kapka is co-author of the Globetrotter’s Guide to Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, and author of the Globetrotter’s Guide to Bulgaria (2007). Her travel features on Berlin and the eunuchs of Delhi won the 2002 and 2004 Travcom Cathay Pacific Travel Writer of the Year Award. She contributes to magazines and newspapers in New Zealand, India, Argentina, Ireland, Bulgaria, and Britain.

Kapka has lived in Marseilles and Berlin, but her favourite city is Buenos Aires. She also knows a thing or two about Bulgaria, New Zealand, Ecuador, and Morocco. She lives in tropical Edinburgh.