Stefan Tsanev in He’s the Man 2023: Remember, apathy is scarier than any censorship

There is no definition of success that does not include the cause of being of service to others, says US President George HW Bush. Thus it binds successful people forever to their causes.

In the fifth edition of the iconic selection He`s The MAN 2023 the team of Dir.bg elevates the cause of several notable men in the modern world in the eyes of the audience with the mission to bring attention to good examples in society. You know that right 12 are the success factors, which are also causes for each of the participants in He`s The MAN 2023?

Passion, Wisdom, Influence, Development, Ambition, Will, Faith, Perseverance, Truth, Dedication, Focus and Self-Knowledge!

On People’s Alarm Day, we open the series with a touching conversation with the living classic – the poet, writer and playwright Stefan Tsanev. His collection of poems was published in August – “Heaven’s Viewpoint”, more than a decade in the making. In September, we meet him at his house in Balchik, where he is waiting for us on a sunny, early morning. If you ever want to meet him, read his latest book of poetry first. This is what will give you the foundation for the real, valuable conversation. Among the greenery of his garden, planted with pomegranates and maples, he reveals to us the codes behind his words, the most important questions of life and what love really is.

Which is the poem that Stefan Tsanev remembers from end to end and which is the last one written in his book? What does Love mean? Why can “Heaven’s View” make the reader sad?

“At the age of four I spoke. As a result of meningitis. That’s how my natural concentration happened. I was doomed to loneliness. A person, however tiny, when left alone – thinks. Growing up in a church also left its mark on me “says Stefan Tsanev.

As we talk, he smiles almost constantly. His eyes are bright and sad at the same time. He tells me he’s moving away. He talks to me about the stars, about physics and astronomy. For your teachers.

“I was taught the constellations, since then I know at least 20-30. My teacher used to tell me: “Don’t compare yourself to everyday life, but to what is above you. At least once a month find time to look at the stars, all this universe and ask yourself the question: “What am I on this earth for?”

He heard the address “Poete” from an early age – even in high school. The first to use it is his maths teacher, who calls it out on the board, but “not in rhymes” if he can.

“We are all children of vanity. There is no need for me to pretend to be modest. Modesty beautifies talent, and I say that talentless people pretend to be modest a lot, so that they may pass for talented.

Everything should be in tolerable measure, because without ambition and passion for what you do, it will not work. It also requires self-sacrifice. You bury your life in case you fail. That’s why I’m cautious when people ask me for advice.”

Kristina Dimitrova and Stefan Tsanev in his house in Balchik Photo: Dir.bg

Why is the weather bad for young poets? How can you not be ashamed of what you do?

“If you feel sorrow when you write, your reader will feel the same sorrow when he reads you. We should not take things too seriously”.

Stefan Tsanev talks about values ​​and censorship. About why he likes to at least have angered the powers that be of the day.

“During socialism, the censorship was striking, but it was also very stupid. There was something so ridiculous… I will tell you something paradoxical. The fact that they did not print a single line for me for more than 8 years brought me to complete despair. But in most sometimes that made me ambitious. When a state apparatus stands against you, that’s proof that it has value.”

For him, art is a resistance against death and oblivion. What does not enter literature almost does not exist at all. Art immortalizes. And the dictators know this very well, says Stefan Tsanev.

What is his last poem written in “Heavenly Perspective” and how it sounds in his rhythm – listen in the interview:

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As every year, in 2023 dir.bg directs the eyes of its nearly 2 million readers to the good examples in Bulgarian society. This is the cause of the entire team, which has dedicated its time to the search for the most suitable persons from public life.

He’s The MAN! is held for the fifth consecutive year after its launch in 2019. The first edition of the series of meetings under the motto “Mind, Spirit and Body” included Dr. Stanimir Sirakov, Svetoslav Ivanov, Yulian Vergov, Niki Stanoev, Philip Zahariev, Stanislav Trifonov-Nassimo, Stoycho Mladenov, Teodosiy Teodosiev, Denislav Kodjabashev and Ivo Hristov.

In 2020, despite the global health crisis, Dir.bg continued the tradition with the series “Time for Men”, which included Prof. Ivo Petrov, Grafa, Mihail Bilalov, Lazar Angelov and Velizar Velichkov.

In 2021 He`s The MAN! gathered at a secret gala dinner Lazar Radkov, Plamen Rusev, Hristo Mutafchiev and Stefan Valdobrev in the selection “In the shoes of success!”.

In 2022, He` The MAN presented the rules of success of Prof. Martin Vechev, Prof. Atanas Shterev, Nayden Todorov, Georgi Gospodinov, Malin Krastev and Dimitar Berbatov.

The annual special event He`s The MAN! you can also follow on the platform here>>>

*He’s The Man! is implemented with the support of Daisy Tech AD and Philip Morris Bulgaria