Slovak Literature in English Translation

Ján Rozner (1922–2006) was a leading Slovak literary, theatre and film critic, journalist, and translator from German and English. Following the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968, Rozner and his wife Zora Jesenská (1909–1972), an eminent translator of Russian literature, both active proponents of the Prague Spring, were blacklisted and lost their jobs. When Jesenská died of cancer, her funeral turned into a political event and everyone attending it faced recriminations. In 1976 Ján Rozner emigrated to Germany with his second wife. They lived first in Stuttgart and then in Munich, where he died in 2006. All his books were published posthumously, edited by his widow, Sláva Roznerová. Seven Days to the Funeral appeared in 2009, followed by Noc po fronte (The Night after the Front) in 2010, and Výlet na Devín (An Outing to Devín) in 2011, to great critical acclaim.