Irena Ivanova is extremely well known to the audience, especially under her pseudonym Rene Karabash. She gained popularity as a poet but made a real boom with the novel "Ostaynitsa", which is inspired by the tradition of the so-called "sworn virgins" (or "remnants") in Albania - women who are allowed to take the role of a family head upon the death of the main male figure in it.

As an actress, her first appearance was starring in Ralitsa Petrova's drama "Bezbog". This first step in cinema brought her several awards for best actress, including at the festivals in Stockholm, Locarno, and Sarajevo.

She is the founder of the "Rabbit Hole" Creative Academy, which brings together some of our greatest writers, screenwriters, and playwrights.

Rene Karabash is also working in the field of theater, as a director and script-writer. One of her iconic theatrical projects is the play "Ochi sini kosi cherni" based on the eponymous novel by Marguerite Duras, which she staged at the Vazrazhdane Theater. She is also well-known for her participation in the play "The Portrait of Dorian Gray" (directed by Stayko Murdzhev) based on Oscar Wilde's novel, of which she is a script-writer and assistant director.