Izidora Angel on 'She Who Remains' (Nominated for the International Booker Prize - 2026)

"Welcome to Harshaneeyam. Today, we delve into a powerful work of Bulgarian literature that has recently made its way to the 2026 International Booker Prize shortlist: 'She Who Remains' by Renée Karbash.

The novel explores the life of a 'sworn virgin'—a woman who, according to an ancient Balkan tradition, takes a vow of celibacy and lives as a man to gain the rights and status reserved for men in a patriarchal society. However, Karbash moves beyond the tradition itself to examine the psychological weight of this choice. It is a story about identity, the cost of survival, and the profound isolation that comes with erasing one's past.

Joining us to discuss this work is the English translator Izidora Angel. Having translated other notable Bulgarian writers like Natalia Deleva, Izidora found this particular project to be uniquely challenging and innovative.

In our conversation, she talks about the experience of the book being recognized by the International Booker Prize—from the initial longlist to the formal invitation to London. We also discuss her translation process, specifically how she approached Karbash’s experimental style and the linguistic shifts required to capture a character who transitions between a female past and a male present. It is a fascinating look at how a translator navigates a text that is as much about what is unsaid as what is written."

Izidora Angel is a Bulgarian-born memoirist, essayist and literary translator based in Chicago. Her translation of She Who Remains by Rene Karabash has been shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize.

Izidora's writing has appeared in A Public Space, Astra Magazine, Electric Literature, Gulf Coast, and elsewhere, and anthologized in Best Literary Translations. She’s been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation, PEN/Heim, and others.

Izidora is completing her debut memoir, Solomon’s Daughter, first excerpted in The American Scholar.

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