Related articles

Rob Cameron's guest in this week's One on One is the writer Ivan Klima, one of the most important cultural figures in the Czech Republic. Ivan Klima was born in Prague in 1931, and during the war was sent to the Terezin concentration camp - his father was Jewish, although he himself was raised as a Protestant. He later became a successful author, but was labelled a dissident by the Communist authorities and his writings were banned.

This week, has been a lucky week for Czech writer Ivan Klima. Not only was he given a Medal for Outstanding Service to the Czech Republic by Czech President Vaclav Havel, but he was also chosen as the recipient of the Franz Kafka literary prize. The Franz Kafka prize - the only international honour awarded in the Czech Republic to outstanding contemporary writers from around the world was established last year when it was given to U.S. author Philip Roth. This year, the jury chose to honour the 71 year old Ivan Klima, who as a writer, essayist,