Working languages: Chinese, Classical Chinese, English, Russian, Romanian, Serbian, Old Bulgarian and Church Slavonic
Field of work: literature (poetry and prose, mainly classical) and humanities (philosophy, religion, etc.).
Short Biography: Born in Plovdiv on September 4, 1972. In 1991, he graduated from the English Language School of Plovdiv. In 1996, he graduated from Sofia University as a MA in sinology, with a second major in Romanian Studies. Translator, author and editor of Christian literature at St. Luke Publishing House, Sofia (1993–2010). Author of articles, travelogues and essays in the field of Christian philosophy and theology, linguistics and literary studies. Author of poetry, children’s stories, the historical and theological book “The New Martyrs of Batak” (Sofia, 2006), also author of liturgical poetry and hymnography in the Church Slavonic language. In the period 2010–2013 he was an English teacher in Foshan, Guangdong, China. From 2012 until now is a consultant and translator from classical and modern Chinese language, English and old Russian language in the “East-West” Publishing House, as well as a freelance translator, narrator of audiobooks, musician and singer. Married to a Chinese lady, with two children.
Selected translations:
From modern Chinese:
- Mo Yan, Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out, a novel (《生死疲劳》莫言著). Lettera Publishing House, 2015, 887 p.
- Xu Zhimo, Selected Poems. Confucius Institute Magazine 1/2013
- Lin Yutang, My Country and My People. East-West Publishing House, 2015, 448 p., translation from the English and Chinese.
From classical and medieval vernacular Chinese:
- Anonymous author, The Thirty-Six Stratagems (《三十六計》A treatise on military art, with comments and interpretations by the translator). East-West Publishing House, 2013, 320 p.
- Wang Yongbin, Nocturnal Talks by the Fireside (《圍爐夜話》王永彬著,“fragments of pure words,” with comments and interpretations by the translator). East-West Publishing House, 2014, 288 p.
- Cao Xueqin, A Dream in Red Mansions, v. 1, (《紅樓夢》第一冊,曹雪芹著) East-West Publishing House, 2015, 608 p.
- Shi Yukun, Seven Heroes and Five Gallants, v. 1 (《七俠五義》石玉昆著,a medieval novel of adventure, mystery and martial arts), East-West Publishing House, 2016, 544 p.
From Bulgarian:
- Petko Hinov, The New Martyrs of Batak. “Living Orthodoxy”, NY 2013–2015
From Church Slavonic:
- Akathist to St. Photius of Constantinople, Sofia 2004
- Akathist to the Miracle-working Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Joy of All Who Sorrow,” Sofia 2005
- Akathist to St. Menas the Great Martyr, Sofia 2007
- A Complete Vigil Service and Akathist to the New Martyrs of Batak (author, in Church Slavonic, translator, in Bulgarian, Sofia 2007, 95 p.)
- The Psalter, Sofia 2009, unpublished, 180 p.
From Serbian:
- Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic, I Believe in One God: Explanation of The Symbol of the Orthodox Faith. St. Luke Publishing House, Sofia 2005, 102 p.
- Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic, Above East and West: Eight Philosophical Reflections On the Orthodox Balkans. St. Luke Publishing House, Sofia 2004, 42 p.
From Russian:
- Theophan the Recluse, Short Meditations for Every Day of the Year on the Church Readings from the Word of God, unpublished, Sofia 2005, 304 p.
From Romanian into Church Slavonic:
- A Service to Our Venerable and God-bearing Father Dimitrios of Basarbovo. Sofia 2006
From English into Church Slavonic:
- Isaac Lambertsen, Service to Our Venerable Father Hilarion, Metropolitan of Kiev, Schemamonk of the Monastery of the Caves, Whose Holy Relics Repose in the Far Caves. Sofia 2015
- Isaac Lambertsen, Service to the Holy and Right-believing Vladislav-Stephen, King of Serbia. Sofia 2016
Awards:
- 2014 — Special Award of the year of the Union of Bulgarian translators for exceptional excellence in translation, for the Bulgarian translation from Classical Chinese of the book “The Thirty-Six Strategems” and “Nocturnal Talks by the Fireside” (East-West Publishing House)
- 2015 — National yearly award “Hristo G. Danov” of the Ministry of Culture for fiction translation, for the translation of “A Dream of Red Mansions” vol.1 by Cao Xueqin.
Contact: petkohinov@gmail.com / petkohinov@abv.bg ; cellphone: +359 893 397 702 ; skype: eli_christoff