Two Bulgarian novels, “The Black Box” and “Mission London” by Alek Popov, have been included in a list of the best European indie novels in support of the UK remaining in the EU, Alison Flood writes in a blog post in The Guardian.

The list, containing 49 titles from 25 EU countries all translated into English and published by independent UK publishers, is part of the Reading Europe Initiative of the independent British publisher Dedalus Books.

The main criteria for the books selection was that “they tell you something new and informative about a country,” Dedalus publisher Eric Lane has told The Guardian.

The initiative aims to present to the reader the literature, history and culture of each European country in order to strengthen the link between the UK and the rest of the EU member states and consequently prompt British citizens to support UK membership to the EU in the upcoming referendum on June 23, 2016.

“It’s an opportunity to learn something about our neighbours, before we lose them,” Lane has said.

Cyprus, Malta and Ireland are not on the list because the first two are in the Commonwealth and will remain linked to London irrespective of whether the UK remains in the EU, while the third one is in the British Isles and its links to the UK "will remain whatever happens", according to Lane.

Popov’s two novels are listed alongside famous works such as Stefan Zweig’s “Beware of Pity” and “The Crime of Father Amaro” by the 19th-century Portuguese writer Jose Maria de E?a de Queir?s.

Other writers include Croatia’s Olja Savi?evi? and her “Farewell, Cowboy,” and Estonia's Indrek Hargla with the novel "Apothecary Melchior and the Mystery of St Olaf’s Church".

Alison Flood is a writer on guardian.co.uk/books and former news editor of the Bookseller.