Slovak Literature in English Translation

Martin Smatana studied animation at the Academy of Performing Arts, VŠMU, in Bratislava and FAMU in Prague. His graduation film The Kite premiered at Berlinale and was shortlisted for the Student Academy Awards. It won 65 international awards and became the first Slovak film to be included in the film collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, where it continues to be screened as part of the museum’s educational program for children and families. Martin combines his original short film work with commercial commisions and currently teaches stop-motion animation as a PhD candidate at VŠMU.  In 2021 he wrote and illustrated Rok dobrých správ (A Year of Good News), with two further collections – the first two also in English – published by Monokel in Slovakia in 2022 and 2023. In 2023 a compilation of the first two editions of The Year of Good News collections was published by Boxer Books and Union Square Books. The books were nominated for the Slovak Most Beautiful Books of the Year award. His latest short film Hello Summer won the Young Audience Award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

smatana.com