In 2028, it is the Czech city of Budejovice, in South Bohemia, which will be the European Capital of Culture – With Rouen Seine Normande 2028 we wish to benefit from the « Czech Literature Night » to share with you works from one male writer, and two female writers from this wonderful region.
This event is another opportunity to highlight the rich exchanges existing between Rouen Seine Normande 2028 and Budejovice 2028. This is also the opportunity to highlight the projects we will share with the teams if we win the European Capital of Culture’s title for France next December.
The first project ‘Found in translation’ will enable young male and female translators to confront with other cultures from Europe and Africa, giving them the opportunity to take part in long-term residencies and therefore promote the Czech language in different countries.
It is also the opportunity for male and female writers coming from abroad to take part in festivals and meetings which Budejovice 2028 will set up as part of this festive year.
The second ‘Bibliocity’ which will connect the 594 bookstores and libraries in the South-Bohemian region around one big project of promoting writing and public reading.
Rouen Seine Normande 2028 is delighted to be part of these projects and to thus participate in the promotion and travel of languages and writings.
THE ARTISTS
Hana D. Lehečková (b. 1990) graduated in Theory and Criticism from the Theatre Faculty of Prague’s Academy of Performing Arts. She made her debut as a writer in 2012 when she won a drama competition at the Švanda Theatre, which went on to stage her play V(ý)chod (Entrance/Exit). Apart from her work for the theatre, she mainly writes for radio. For her psychotic novella Svatá hlava (Sacred Head, 2019) she received the 2020 Jiří Orten Award. She works as a literary editor.
Klára Vlasáková (b. 1990) is a novelist, dramatist, and journalist. In addition to writing screenplays for film (drama Ordinary Failures directed by Cristina Groșan was premiered in Venice International Film Festival in 2022), television, comics, and radio plays, she writes for several Czech media outlets. Her first novel, Cracks, published in 2020, was nominated for the Jiří Orten Prize, awarded to authors under the age of 30. Her second novel published this year is called Bodies.
Šimon Leitgeb (b. 1996) is a Czech poet and the 2021 winner of the prestigious Cena Jiřího Ortena (Jiří Orten Award) for his book Betonová pláž. He is also the author of the 2017 book Mezi náma (Petr Štengl Publishing House, 2017). Mr. Leitgeb has received various awards for his poems in literary competitions throughout the Czech Republic and has published poetry in Czech magazines such as Tvar, Host, and Lidové noviny. In 2016, his verses were listed in the anthology The Best Czech Poems. Mr. Leitgeb is an avid traveler and has been invited to read his work at literary events in Ukraine, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Romania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and Slovakia. Within the Czech Republic, he regularly organizes literary events in various cities and towns, as well as collaborates with local and international writers and artists. He has organized the festival Literatura žije! (Literature lives!) for the past four years, and is the host and creator of the literature and music event series Mezi náma.
Mr. Leitgeb is currently working on the project FOUND IN TRANSLATION as part of České Budějovice’s candidacy for the European Capital of Culture 2028. This project supports South Bohemian talent through annual residencies for translators and writers from various parts of Europe.
