Muzhe (Men)

Sofia: Durzhavno Voenno Izdatelstvo, 1962. Hardcover. Near Fine. First edition; 6" x 8"; pp. [6], 7-322, [2]; original dark orange boards with black and gilt decorations; pictorial DJ; full-page b & w illustrations; near fine with minor wear to corners; jacket in very good condition with small nicks along edges. In spite of being one of Bulgaria's most acclaimed and honored young authors of the 1960s, sadly, dissident writer Georgi Markov is best known in the West for his infamous murder by the Bulgarian Secret Police, with a poisonous pellet shot by an umbrella, in London in 1978. While still living and working in Bulgaria, Markov was a controversial figure - winning "The Annual Award of the Union of Bulgarian Writers" for his current work 'Men' and at the same time having most of his plays removed and banned from theater stages by the Communist censors. He was also famous for his lavish bohemian lifestyle, which was unknown to most Bulgarians at the time. A testament to his literary talent was the fact that Todor Zhivkov, then Communist President of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, repeatedly tried to draw him into serving the Communist regime with his writings. Georgi Markov left Bulgaria for Italy in 1969, initially planning to return, but later changing his mind after the Bulgarian Government refused to extend his passport. He moved to London, where he worked for BBC World Service, Deutsche Welle, and Radio Free Europe often criticizing the regime and the party leaders. In 1972, he was sentenced 'in absentia' to six years and six months in prison for his defection. His works were withdrawn from libraries, bookshops, and even private homes. It is now known that the Bulgarian Secret Police, assisted by the KGB, had attempted to kill him two times before succeeding on the third. His present novel tells the story of three men, just out of mandatory military service, and their lives. First editions of his writings are virtually impossible to find, with OCLC listing only one copy of the current one at Harvard University Library.