75 Czech authors and more than 100 new German translations will be featured at the Frankfurter Buchmesse, which will be held under the motto Czechia: A Country on the Coast. Last year, the fair was visited by 238,000 people from 131 countries around the world, making this the largest presentation of Czech literature abroad in modern history.
Th Moravian Library leads the preparations for the Czech programme in collaboration with experts in the fields of literature, cultural management and translation. The main goal of the Czech programme will be to showcase the best of the Czech literature and culture and to demonstrate that contemporary Czech authors truly have something to offer to the world.
To mark this occasion, we are preparing a catalogue of the authors that we represent, in which we will introduce our guests to selected significant figures in the 20th-century Czech literature, as well as promising contemporary Czech writers. We also want to draw the attention of the audience to lesser-known figures in the Czech literature whose voices still have the potential to capture the interest of foreign publishers today.
“The main goal of our participation in the fair is to promote the authors we represent by meeting with publishers and agents, and thereby encourage the translation of their works into European and other world languages. Thanks to our collaboration with the Moravian Library, which is in charge of the Czech delegation, we can also showcase the full scope and unique nature of our work at the Czech national pavilion,” explains Jan Barták, director of DILIA.
The catalogue will showcase the voices of unique authors of postwar Czech literature. These are pioneers – often mavericks and revolutionary creators – who were ahead of their time and pushed the boundaries of both subject matter and form, not only in Czech art. While their work is highly diverse, they are united by a penetrating vision, the courage to seek new paths, and the ability to capture the universality of human experience.
In addition to exceptional literary figures of the 20th century, DILIA also represents a number of interesting contemporary authors – creators who have only recently entered the literary scene and have made a name for themselves thanks to their original voices and themes that resonate (though not exclusively) with younger generations.
In addition to the Frankfurt catalogue, we are also preparing a brand-new online catalogue, to which we will gradually add information about all the authors that we represent. Through our participation in the event and the materials and presentations we have prepared, we aim to raise the profile of our entire roster of authors. And we will continue to do so intensively even after the Frankfurter Buchmesse.
