Todor Zhivkov to 1988, Bulgaria won an unprecedented 153 Olympic medals and numerous European and world competitions in sports as diverse as volleyball, rhythmic gymnastics and wrestling. Dissent was punished under Zhivkov's rule. The CSS was a feared tool of control, and overt opposition largely stayed underground until the late 1980s. In 1978, the Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov was assassinated in London by an agent who stabbed him with an umbrella tip which implanted a very small ricin ball. According to former KGB general Oleg Kalugin, this was requested by Zhivkov and either performed by the KGB or it assisted the CSS;
Poisoned Pen Press A Mystery Bookstore' a decade ago, sees consolidations in the publishing industry as a threat to cultural diversity and to the survival of the independent bookstore. Poisoned Pen Press began by selling out-of-print books, but soon expanded to publish original titles. They earned two Edgar Award nominations (1998 and 2000) and many of their books receive positive reviews in trade publications and general press. In 2012, The Poisoned Pencil, an imprint of Poisoned Pen Press was founded to publish mysteries for young adults. Ellen Larson was named editor of The Poisoned Pencil. The first release from The Poisoned Pencil was