The most important Czech expert on the work of the English playwright William Shakespeare in the book Shakespeare’s England. The portrait of the time represents the turning points in which great works of Elizabethan literature were created and which were of formative significance for English society and civilization.
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“The Book of the Year is a great work, the result of the author’s lifelong interest in the time. By the way, the book that did not win in its category won again, which happened regularly in the new voting system after 2010, but so far never, if the book from the category of scientific literature won, “Pavel Mandys, Chairman of the Magnesia Litera Committee, told Práva. .
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Daniel Hradecký received the letter for prose for the book Three Chapters. It is a trio of linguistically polished shorter prose, which fulfills the testimony of the struggle of an individual with the existence on the margins, and not only of social exclusion.
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“This year’s prose was interesting in that all the nominated books took place in the real, ie not fantastic, present, that two nominated books have so far been written mainly by the poets Hradecký and Borkovec, one by the singer Merta and one by journalist and screenwriter Štindl. Hradecký is then a unique case where a lifestyle not unlike Charles Bukowski’s experience is connected with the literary style of Thomas Bernhard in North Bohemian conditions, “stated Mandys.
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The collection of poems by Pavel Novotný Zápisky z garsonky won the Litera for poetry. This poetic cycle is openly autobiographical. Thoughtful work with language and experienced motifs connects individual poems into a readable whole.
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Hospital under pressure
The Czech Koreanist and writer Nina Špitálníková received a Litera for journalism for her book Testimony of Life in the DPRK. She recorded in it seven different destinies of people who fled the DPRK. Their stories approach life in a country where close people look after each other, their lives are determined by the caste system, and hunger is part of everyday life.
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The author became a target for the Facebook page of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. “The poisonous mushroom Špitálníková relied on the fact that she will be able to get into the European Parliament through a defamatory campaign against the DPRK. It was recalculated and the result showed the fact that the Czech people, although greatly popularized by media debilitation, are certainly not so stupid as to move it there, “they wrote.
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“Candidacy for the European elections was a very interesting experience for me. I met a lot of great people around the Czech Pirate Party and got a lot of support from friends, family and the environment. At the same time a lot of disgusting flocks and news. But this was the best after the end, “wrote Nina Špitálníková in response to the post.
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“The Litera category for journalism seemed to be the busiest this year. All the books had extraordinarily strong and emotional personal stories, and if any of them appeared in the nominations in another year, they would probably win. Epics won again in poetry, even more earthy and civil than last year’s Murrer’s subtly horror Night Reading. But the poet is rather opposed to the claim that epics return to Czech poetry in a more conspicuous way, “Mandys told Práva.
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Lenka Elbe has the letter for the debut of the year for the book Uranus. Its main characters are the English girl Angela and the town of Jáchymov. The book mixes all its paradoxes, destinies and behavior of people, and above all the greenish glow of uranium glass.
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Children’s book and educational literature
Bogdan Trojak received the letter for the children’s book for Sapphire Kingfishers and Glutaman. In the story, three kingfishers accidentally seize the secret diary of the captain of a river boat. Together with little Justýnka and her brother Kajetán, they set out in the footsteps of strange, and not exactly ethical, discoveries of a mad scientist.
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The Book of the Ten Senses. How people and animals perceive the surrounding world received a letter from Jaroslav Petr for scientific literature. In it, the author has gathered a number of different anomalies, curiosities and animal experts, and through them he introduces into the realm of animal sensual conveniences, over which reason often remains the state.
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Magnesia Litera for 2020
Book of the year
Martin Hilský: Shakespeare’s England. Portrait of the time
Palmbooks Litera for prose
Daniel Hradecký: Three Chapters
Moleskine Litera za poezii
Pavel Novotný: Notes from the studio
Letter for a book for children and youth
Bogdan Trojak: Sapphire Kingfishers and Glutaman
Letter for scientific literature
Jaroslav Petr: Ten Senses. How humans and animals perceive the world around them
Literature for journalism
Nina Špitálníková: Testimony of Life in the DPRK
Letter for the publishing act
Editions Czech Poetry and Czech Prose by Fra
Letter for the translation book
Francisco Delicado: Portrait of a Pretty Andalusian (translated by Jiří Holub)
The letter for the debut of the year
Lenka Elbe: Uranus
Kosmas Readers’ Award
Vaclav Dvorak: Me, Finis
Magnesia Blog rock
Miroslav Komínek: Přerov Municipal Police
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The best translated literature was Portrait of a Pretty Andalusian by Francisco Delicado translated by Jiří Holub, Václav Dvořák received the Readers’ Award for the book Já, finis and the Blog of the Year was the one from the Přerov Municipal Police.
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