Slovak Literature in English Translation

Ivan Štrpka (1944) is one of Slovakia’s most acclaimed contemporary poets.  He studied Spanish and Slovak language and literature at Comenius University in Bratislava. In the 1960s, together with poets Ivan Laučík and Peter Repka, he founded the individualist poetry group Osamelí bežci (The Lonely Runners). Their manifesto, The Return of the Angels, was banned, but they went on to develop an original writing style and system of values. His first collection Krátke detstvo kopijníkov (The Brief Childhood of Lancers, 1969) was followed by Tristan tára (Tristan Blah Blah, 1971). Banned from publishing in the 1970 because of his political views, he forged a collaboration with the cult rock singer and composer Dežo Ursíny, writing lyrics for twelve of his albums.  Štrpka is the author of more than twenty books of poetry and experimental prose. His poetry explores themes that remain relevant today: memory, identity, freedom, uncertainty and what it means to remain human in changing times. In 2019 he was the first recipient of Zlatá vlna (The Golden Wave), Slovakia’s only prize for poetry and his most recent collection, Posunky, fakty, prví korčuliari (2025, Gestures, Facts, First Skaters) is a finalist for the 2025 Zlatá vlna prize. At the  2025 International Struga Poetry Festival, Ivan Štrpka received the prestigious Golden Wreath award regarded as the Nobel Prize for poetry for his “rich, authentic and significant poetic corpus created over six decades”.