Bulgarian readers already know Manuel Rivas from three books published in Bulgarian: his novels, The Carpenter’s Pencil and In the Wilderness, and his collection of short stories, Vermeer’s Milkmaid. This is the first time his poetry has appeared, including selected poems from his first five poetry books and the whole of The Disappearance of Snow. The style of Rivas’ poetry, like that of his fiction, is magical, intriguing and up-to-date. His talent as a journalist makes him appealing even when he talks about past events. His metaphorical expression, dense and surrealistic, doesn’t differentiate between poetry and prose. In his poetry he deals with unexpected comparisons, which topple over one another, borrowing images from far and close, like the Classical and Baroque architecture of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. Manuel Rivas builds up the structure of his works with clear, plain writing, showing modesty towards God and the environment.