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Czech BooksIlona Ferkova - stories that capture Roma life in the Czech Republic today
Ilona Ferkova writes in the Romany language, closely related to the ancient
Indian language Sanskrit. It has survived and adapted itself through the
centuries ever since the ancestors of today's Roma left India a millennium
ago. Ilona has written a fascinating collection of short stories that
capture both the tribulations and the poetry that shines even through the
material hardship of life for many Roma in the Czech Republic today. More
Czech BooksBozena Nemcova - the mother of Czech prose
Hello and welcome to Czech Books, which this week will be looking at the
Czech icon and -in the words of Milan Kundera - the mother of Czech prose,
Bozena Nemcova. We'd like today to dig a bit deeper into the reality of
the woman behind the image, which is embedded in Czech culture. Nemcova
lived from 1820 to 1862 and was a major figure in the Czech national
revival. She's most famous for her book about an idealized rural community
in the early 19th century, "Babicka" - The Grandmother. This
book has been translated into many languages and is known by all Czechs as
part of their school reading. Nemcova's image is also very much a part of
Czech culture. Here are a few lines from Babicka in a 19th century
translation by Frances Gregor. More
Current Affairs'Harry Potter' and 'Lord of the Rings' top list of Czechs' favorite books
And the winner is: "Harry Potter," and not by a nose. In a
nationwide survey of nearly 100,000 people, Czech readers have named the
English author J.K. Rowling as having penned their favorite book.
More
Czech BooksPrincess Libuse: the wisest woman in Czech literary history
Today we look at one of the legendary figures in Czech history - sometimes
described as the "Mother of the Czech Nation" - the medieval
princess Libuse or Libussa, who has inspired many writers through the
centuries. I'm joined by Pavla Jonssonova, who has studied the way that
the Libuse legend has been interpreted by different writers, and to what
extent it reflects the possible real history of Libuse. More
ArtsJosef Skvorecky
Josef Skvorecky, author of many internationally acclaimed novels such as
The Bass Saxophone, The Engineer of Human Souls and The Miracle Game, is
one of the country's most renowned twentieth century writers. In this
week's Arts, we'll hear about his love for jazz, his experiences in
Communist Czechoslovakia, and why he thinks foreign readers can identify
with his work.
More
Current AffairsJosef Skvorecky, author of nostalgia and irony, celebrates eightieth birthday
Josef Skvorecky, author of many internationally acclaimed novels such as
The Cowards, The Bass Saxophone, and The Miracle Game, celebrates his
eightieth birthday on Monday. A fan of Anglo-American culture, his first
publication, the Cowards, is set in his native Nachod, east Bohemia,
during the Second World War. Instead of fighting for their country, the
town's youth prefers to listen to jazz, live life, and view the political
developments with black humour and scepticism. More
One on OneJan Cermak - translator of the first Czech version of Beowulf
My guest today is Jan Cermak, who has translated the first ever Czech
version of the important Old English epic poem Beowulf. It was a mammoth
task, which took him the best part of a decade to complete. When I visited
Mr Cermak in his office at Prague's Charles University, I asked him why -
given the long history of English studies in this country - a Czech
version of Beowulf had not appeared before.
More
Czechs TodayPeter Sis - illustrator & author of magnificent children's books
The New York Times has called his work "magnificent", Publisher's
weekly "stunning": he's Peter Sis the Czech-born children's book
illustrator and author of such titles as The Starry Messenger, A Small
Tall Tale from the Far, Far North, and The Three Golden Keys. In this
edition of Czechs Today we look at Peter Sis' career including his very
latest book and talk with the author himself.
More
Current AffairsAuthor/illustrator Peter Sis in Prague - a preview for Czechs Today
This week one of the world's most celebrated children's authors and
illustrators is in his native Prague to launch a new book, The Tree of
Life, about the life and trials of famous naturalist Charles Darwin. The
illustrator is none other than Peter Sis, who has lived in the U.S. since
the early 80s. We'll be profiling Mr Sis' work in next week's edition of
Czechs Today, but we wanted to offer listeners something of a preview.
More
Czech BooksLenka Reinerova - a writer who keeps the rich tradition of Prague German literature alive
There must be few writers anywhere in the world who have led quite such
fascinating lives as Lenka Reinerova. Now an energetic 88-year-old with a
glint in her eye and a charisma that give her the look of someone at least
15 years younger, she has lived through many of the dramas of the 20th
century. Today she is settled in Prague, the city where she grew up in a
middle-class Jewish family before the war. With the rise of fascism, like
many of her generation, she embraced communism, in the hope of resisting
the menace that was coming from Germany, and she came to know some of the
extraordinary literary figures of Prague at the time, including Franz
Kafka's friend, Max Brod, and the famous "roving reporter" Egon
Erwin Kisch.
More
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