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Czech BooksDickens and the Good Soldier Švejk
Here is a question for the Dickens bicentenary. What is the connection
between the great 19th century English novelist and the best-loved Czech
literary anti-hero? The answer is, surprisingly enough, that without
Dickens we quite possibly wouldn’t have Švejk at all. David Vaughan
looks at this and some other Czech links with Dickens in this week’s
Czech Books. More
Czech HistoryJaroslav Foglar and his “Rapid Arrows”
Writer and youth movement activist Jaroslav Foglar left a deep trace in
Czech popular culture. Besides more than 25 novels for children, Jaroslav
Foglar is also the father of Rychlé šípy, or “Rapid Arrows”, a
legendary comics that has earned a following with generations of Czech
readers. Persecuted by the Nazis and the communists, the writer also
single-handedly founded his own youth organization which, in its heyday,
had tens of thousands of members across the country. More
Czech BooksHana Andronikova: mourning a powerful Czech literary voice
It seems very strange to be talking about the Czech writer Hana Andronikova
in the past tense. When she died of cancer on December 20th last year, she
was only 44, and until the last months of her life had been at the height
of her creative powers. Author of two successful novels, several plays and
numerous short stories, she was one of the most versatile younger Czech
writers, and will be hugely missed. David Vaughan looks at her life and
work. More
Arts‘Adolf Loos – A Private Portrait’ offers readers a unique glimpse into the life of the modernist architect
In today’s Arts I talk to artist and editor Carrie Paterson about the
first English-language edition of a rare and fascinating book originally
published in 1936. Written by the third wife of modernist architect Adolf
Loos, Claire Beck Loos (Klára Becková-Loosová of Plzeň) it was
previously available only in German; the new edition, published by
Doppelhouse Press, is called Adolf Loos – A Private Portrait. More
Czech BooksCharles Ota Heller: a soldier at the age of nine
In the last days of World War II, nine-year-old Ota Heller picked up a
revolver and fired it at a German soldier. He did not wait to see if the
man was still alive. For decades afterwards he talked to no one about the
experience, and only recently has Ota Heller – or Charles Ota Heller, as
he is now called – felt able to return to his memories of the war,
collecting them in his book “Out of Prague”. In this week’s Czech
Books he talks to David Vaughan. More
ArtsJosef Škvorecký – Part 2 – ’68 Publishers and writing in Canada
In this week’s Arts enjoy Part 2 of our look at the life and work of
renowned author Josef Škvorecký, who died at the age of 87 earlier this
month. I continue my discussion with respected Czech critic, translator,
and specialist in Czech studies Petr Onufer, who talks about how Miloš
Forman almost made a film version of The Cowards, Škvorecký’s style as
an author and his role as co-founder of ‘68 Publishers. More
Czech BooksFrom Karel Čapek to Graham Greene: a Scottish poet’s memories of Prague
In a recent edition of Czech Books we looked at the Prague-inspired poetry
of the Scottish poet, Edwin Muir. But it was not just in his poetry that
Muir evoked the atmosphere of the Czech capital. David Vaughan finds out
more in this week’s Czech Books. More
ArtsJosef Škvorecký – Part 1 – The Cowards
In this week’s Arts we will be looking back at the remarkable life and
work of renowned writer, essayist and translator Josef Škvorecký who died
earlier this month at the age of 87. The author of novels such as The
Engineer of Human Souls was one of the most important in Czech 20th century
literature, first making his mark in 1958 with The Cowards. To discuss that
book and much, much more in the first of a two-part programme, I met with
respected Czech critic, translator, specialist in Czech studies and
Revolver Revue contributor Petr Onufer. In Part 1, we look largely
Škvorecký’s debut, The Cowards. More
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