Rene Karabash (1989) is the pseudonym of Irene Ivanova, a Bulgarian writer, screenwriter, theater director and actress. Her first collection of poetry Thighs and Butterflies was presented in London and Prague. Her poems have been published in literary anthologies around the world. Her debut novel She who stays was nominated in Bulgaria for the Peroto and Novel of the Year awards, and with it she won the prestigious Elias Canetti literary award. For the main role in the film Godless, she won, among other things, the Silver Leopard and the Heart of Sarajevo. She is the founder of The Rabbit Hole – an academy for creative writing, where renowned Bulgarian writers, screenwriters and playwrights teach.