Jonka Hristova was born on 4^th of September 1954 in Sofia, Bulgaria. She was brought up in the German culture. At age of 5 she started going to a German Infant school and continued to study the language till 7^th grade.  She had finished the French Language High School in Sofia, and then graduated in Spanish Philology at Sofia University with a second speciality Italian language.   Jonka graduated in opera singing at the Conservatoire along with the Spanish Philology at the university. For two years she was a translator and worked with almost all creative unions – the Union of Bulgarian Artists, the Writer's Union, the Culture Committee.

In 1982 Jonka left for Germany and her life was bound with the stage forever. From 1982 to 1987 she worked at the opera of the town of Hof. Since 1987 she works at the National Theatre in the town of Mannheim.

In Mannheim she joined the Bulgarian-German Culture Society and got involved in charity concerts. At the last one she organised with her colleagues from the opera they raised 10 000 marks, helping to set a kitchen for the poor in her country.

Today Jonka can say she is lucky – her job is her hobby. She does not live with the tension of a soloist, but she loves singing. She loves to be on the stage, to dress in a different costume every night. Her work is a pleasure. As well as literature – her other passion.

In 1998 her first poetry book "Nostalgia” was published with the strong encouragement of Svetlin Rusev – a famous Bulgarian artist and a deputy minister of culture at that time.  In 1999 her second collection, called "Seasons”, was issued, revealing Jonka's idea about seasons being everywhere – in nature, in the opera, in the theatre, in life.  Her third book "Impressions” included small poems-impressions from a notebook she kept since school years.  The next one – "Counterpoints” – is related to music as a lead of two or three voices, each of them being independent.

In 2003 Jonka's collection "Fire Dancing” was published in German.  She also started doing poetic readings and "Bulgarian Evenings” for the German audience.  This initiative was so successful, that such events were organised in all German cities. That is how her poetic show "The Song of Bulgaria” was born. It is a lyrical journey through 2500 years of culture and art. The print in German was exhausted right away. It was printed in Bulgarian too, because many Bulgarians living in Germany wanted it for their children.

Jonka is mostly touched by the reaction of the Germans, who are a little bit sad that no German is written such a book about Germany.

The poetess makes the right conclusion: "In order to do this, you have to live far away from your mother land. Then you see things differently."