Slovak Literature in English Translation

A photoreport from the book launches

Featuring 10 Slovak authors by 10 translators, edited by Radoslav Passia and Julia Sherwood, published by Comma Press

11 books – 10 authors – 6 works of poetry – 4 works of fiction – 1 memoir – 8 translators – 7 publishers

Written by Katarína Kucbelová, translated by Julia and Peter Sherwood, published by Seagull Books

Now on slovakliterature.com

On May 3rd, 2024, Ján Uličiansky, best known for his fairytales, passed away at the age of 68.

Written by Balla, translated by David Short, published by Jantar Publishing

Now on slovakliterature.com

Written by Ján Rozner, translated by Julia and Peter Sherwood, published by Karolinum Press

Written by Zuska Kepplová, translated by Magdalena Mullek, published by Seagull Books

Now on slovakliterature.com

Short stories by Pavol Rankov, translated by Magdalena Mullek, published by Terra Librorum

Written by Gustáv Reuss, translated by David Short, published by Jantar Publishing

Written by Marek Vadas, translated by Julia and Peter Sherwood, published by Seagull Books

An interview with Zuzana Cigánová by Magdalena Mullek

Kathryn Murphy reviews two books by Balla

Written by Rudolf Dobiáš, translated by Heather Trebatická and John Minahane, now published by Mount Orleans Press

Written by Zuzana Cigánová, translated by Magdalena Mullek, published by Seagull Books

Now on slovakliterature.com

Written by Irena Brežná, translated by Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp, published by Seagull Books

Now on slovakliterature.com

A selection of Janko Kráľ’s poetry, translated by John Minahane, published by SLC

Anna West reviews Ivana Dobrakovová’s Mothers and Truckers

Written by Balla, translated by David Short, published by Jantar Publishing

A literary controversy, Author’s Reading Month, and much more

Read an article about us in the BCSA Review

Read an excerpt from Spring in Yekaterinburg translated by Magdalena Mullek

Written by Ivana Dobrakovová, translated by Julia and Peter Sherwood, published by Jantar Publishing

Written by Ján Johanides, translated by Julia and Peter Sherwood, published by Karolinum Press

Now on slovakliterature.com

Author and translator talking about Boat Number Five on Trafika Europe Radio

Andrew Singer reviews My Seven Lives

An interview with author Monika Kompaníková

An interview with translator Janet Livingstone

Anasoft Litera longlist, European Literary House in Kremnica

Read an excerpt from Richard Pupala’s book translated by Julia Sherwood

Written by Monika Kompaníková, translated by Janet Livingstone, published by Seagull Books

Contemporary Slovak Poetry Part II

An essay by Ivana Hostová on the neural network “poet” Liza Gennart

Ivana Hostová interviews poet Zuzana Husárová for Asymptote

Slovak author Richard Pupala is one of this year’s nominees for the European Union Prize for Literature

Michael Stein reviews My Seven Lives

Michael Kopanic reviews Pavol Rankov’s It Happened on the First of September (or Some Other Time)

Written by Marek Vadas, translated by Julia Sherwood, featured in the inaugural issue of The Continental Literary Magazine

An Interview with literary organizer František Malík on the Asymptote blog

An Interview with Barbora Hrínová, winner of Anasoft Litera 2021

A talk by Charles Sabatos

Barbora Hrínová wins the Anasoft Litera Award, new Slovak titles in English, and much more

A selection from Contemporaneities translated by Ivana Hostová, published in Asymptote

Rosie Goldsmith interviews the poet about her collection “Threatened Species” and more

The Modern Novel reviews Jana Bodnárová’s Necklace/Choker

Written by Uršuľa Kovalyk, translated by Julia and Peter Sherwood, published by Parthian Books

Now on slovakliterature.com

Now on slovakliterature.com

Written by Monika Kompaníková, translated by Janet Livingstone, published by Seagull Books

Written by Jana Bodnárová, translated by Jonathan Gresty, published by Seagull Books

Jana Juráňová in Conversation with Agneša Kalinová, translated by Julia and Peter Sherwood, published by Purdue University Press

Elizabeth Stigler reviews It Happened on the First of September (or Some Other Time)

Julia Sherwood rejoices with her producer, Peter Michalik, in the show’s 30th and final episode.

Now on slovakliterature.com

Month of Authors’ Readings, Pohoda, and other literary events

Sarah Hinlicky Wilson reviews The Hot Summer of 1968

In Lit_cast Slovakia #29, deputy director of Karolinum Press Martin Janeček talks about bringing Czech books to foreign audiences and reveals plans for a new Modern Slovak Classics series.

Written by Viliam Klimáček, translated by Peter Petro, published by Mandel Vilar Press and Dryad Press

Michael Stein reviews The Hot Summer of 1968

In Lit_cast Slovakia #28, translator and journalist Tomáš Hučko talks about the joys and challenges of translating John Fante, Henry David Thoreau, and John Steinbeck.

Vertigo Fest – Poetry Without Borders, BRaK literary festival, Literafest, Pohoda, and more

In Lit_cast Slovakia #27, writer Monika Kompaníková talks about the universal appeal of her novel Boat Number Five.

In Lit_cast Slovakia #26, translator Tünde Mészáros talks about the importance of musicality in translation.

Featuring Boat Number Five by Monika Kompaníková and Necklace/Choker by Jana Bodnárová.

In the 25th episode of Lit_cast Slovakia, scholar and translator David Short talks about some of the staggering number of books he has translated.

Gwen Willems reviews Into the Spotlight

A discussion of Central European Literature for young readers.

Listen to a bilingual excerpt from Mothers and Truckers, and much more.

In Lit_cast Slovakia #23, literature scholar Ivana Hostová talks about why publishing poetry in translation is challenging even in a translation-dominated culture such as Slovakia.

Remembering Ladislav Grossman, Pavol Rankov wins the European Book Prize 2020, publisher Koloman Kertész Bagala, and more

Tabatha Leggett reviews Seeing People Off 

In Lit_cast Slovakia #22, Hungarian literary organizer Éva Karádi talks about championing Slovak literature.

In Lit_cast Slovakia #21, award-winning writer and journalist Irena Brežná talks about rebelling against the dogma of writing in her native language.

In Lit_cast Slovakia #20, Polish translator and theater director Kasia Dudzic-Grabińska talks about how she combines literary translation with theater work.

Sarah Hinlicky Wilson reviews It Happened on the First of September (or Some Other Time)

In Lit_cast Slovakia #19, literary critic Peter F. ‘Rius Jílek shares his experience of being on the jury of Anasoft Litera.

Read an excerpt from the recently published novel in English translation by Magdalena Mullek.

In Lit_cast Slovakia #18, literature scholar Ivana Taranenková introduces a forthcoming English-language guide to contemporary Slovak literature.

for his novel It Happened on the First of September (or Some Other Time)

Now on slovakliterature.com

Written by Pavol Rankov, translated by Magdalena Mullek, published by Slavica Publishers

In Lit_cast Slovakia #17, writer and editor Mária Modrovich talks about navigating Slovak literature through the website Books from Slovakia.

In Lit_cast Slovakia #16, writer and translator Lucia Duero talks about navigating the cultural differences between Slovakia and Mexico.

Photo from Pravda by Robert Hüttner. Used with permission. In Lit_cast Slovakia #15, translator John Minahane reads from his translations of Slovak writers.

Julia Sherwood talks with LIC about the four books selected for Seagull Books’ Slovak List.

Michael Stein reviews Pavol Rankov’s soon-to-be-published novel, It Happened on the First of September (or Some Other Time), translated by Magdalena Mullek, in Versopolis Review.

In Lit_cast Slovakia #14, Ľudmila Pánisová talks about the need to treat the source text with respect.

BraK festival, Novotvar festival, and other events

Listen to Slovak poet Mária Ferenčuhová read her poetry in this virtual event.

In Lit_cast Slovakia #13, Marie-Theres Cermann talks about why she believes the plight of refugees remains relevant even during the pandemic.

In Lit_cast Slovakia #12, Sarah Hinlicky Wilson talks about the forgotten gems of Slovak literature.

Featuring excerpts from works by Gejza Vámoš, Pavel Vilikovský, and Zuska Kepplová.

In Lit_cast Slovakia #11, Slovak poet and translator Mária Ferenčuhová talks about cooperative translationof poetry.

In 2021/2022 Seagull Books will kick off its Slovak List with books by Monika Kompaníková, Jana Bodnárová, Irena Brežná, and Zuzana Cigánová.

Julia Sherwood talks about a children’s book that teaches children to understand disability and accept otherness.

In Lit_cast Slovakia #10, James Sutherland-Smith talks about why translating prose is more difficult than translating poetry.

Sarah Hinlicky Wilson reviews Big Love

In Lit_cast Slovakia #9, Nataša Ďurovičová talks about exile as the point of no return.

In Lit_cast Slovakia #8, writer and journalist Michael Stein talks about the Central European literary sensibility.

Translations of 5 Slovak poets, and an interview with writer and translator Lucia Duero

In Lit_cast Slovakia #7, literature scholar Katarína Gephardt discusses her plans for a Companion to Contemporary Slovak Literature.

An article in The Slovak Spectator

Read an excerpt from Forro’s account of the Ukrainian conflict, translated by Magdalena Mullek

Read the latest review of Ivana Dobrakovová’s award-winning novel in World Literature Today

In Lit_cast Slovakia #6, translator Jonathan Gresty talks about going native in Slovakia, and much more.

A Sentimental Education in March” by Pavel Vilikovský, translated and with an introduction by Charles Sabatos

This year’s winner of the Vilenica Prize for Central European Literature

The Centre for Information on Literature has a new website in English called Books from Slovakia

In This Together: Writers From Around the World Respond to the COVID-19 Outbreak

Book of the Year, Slovakia’s take on European Literature Night, and more

Julia Sherwood now hosting a biweekly podcast of conversations about Slovak literature

Congratulations to Mila Haugová and her translator, James Sutherland-Smith, on their latest collection of poetry in English, released by Arc Publications

Ivana Dobrakovová’s book has been longlisted for the EBRD Literature Prize 2020

On February 10th, 2020, Pavel Vilikovský, one of Slovakia’s most prominent writers, passed away at the age of 78.

Looking back at the season of Slovak literature and arts in the UK in October and November 2019

An overview of what’s new in Slovak literature

Uršuľa Kovalyk, Dušan Mitana, and Richard Pupala in the Central European Short Story Issue

Slovak Literature makes a splash on the European Literature Network

Featured as Author of the Week on BookBlast Diary

Andreea Scridon reviews Big Love and The Night Circus and Other Stories

Donald Rayfield reviews Bellevue and Big Love in The Literary Review

Program of the one-day conference at UCL SSEES, London, on November 5th, 2019

Martina Šimkovičová of Slovak Radio International talks to British publishers willing to take the risk of introducing Slovak fiction and poetry to the UK market.

A series of readings and discussions with Balla, Ivana Dobrakovová, and Uršuľa Kovalyk in Manchester, Oxford, Cambridge, and London 22.10. – 25.10.2019

A series of events in the UK marking the 30th anniversary of the fall of communism in Slovakia

A curated site for Slovak literature in English