Understanding peace by reading about war: Czech literature on the two World Wars (Jaroslav Hašek - THE FATE OF THE GOOD SOLDIER SVEJK DURING THE WORLD WAR & Radka Denemarková - MONEY FROM HITLER)

Literature is the living witness to the times and a diverse library of human history with many different perspectives and stories. Yet the history of mankind is nothing but the history of war and peace. To understand the value of peace and be able to treasure every moment of life in peace, we must read more and more about its opposite, about the absurdity of war and about the damage and loss that could happen to any family and any person in times of war.

The formation and development of Czech literature is tied to the ups and downs of the history of war and peace in Europe. Czech literature is also one of the most abundant resources of material that helps the readers understand the souls and characters of the Czech people.

The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Vietnam would like to introduce to the audience a book discussion event about two recently translated and published Czech anti-war novels: “The Fate of the Good Soldier Švejk durring the World War” by Jaroslav Hašek and “Money from Hitler” by Radka Denemarková.

These two novels, respectively, are about the two World Wars with completely different narrative styles. They will bring readers different that can help them better understand the history, culture, and social life as well as the people of the Czech Republic.

The event will be attended by translators and the editors from the Vietnam Women's Publishing House and other literary critics and the representatives of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Vietnam.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Jaroslav Hašek (1883 - 1923) was a famous Czech writer, journalist, and humorist. He is best known for his work "The Fate of the Good Soldier Švejk during the World War", that is considered as the great satire and the first anti-war novel of Czech Literature. The novel has been translated into nearly 70 languages and is recognized as the most translated Czech literary classic into foreign languages.

Radka Denemarková (born 14 March 1968) is a Czech novelist, playwright, television screenwriter, translator, and essayist. Denemarková is the only Czech writer who four times have received the most valuable Czech literary award - the Magnesia Litera Prize (in different categories - for prose, non-fiction, translation, and Book of the Year). Her works have been translated into 23 languages.

Her famous novel “Money from Hitler” tells the story of Gita Lauschmanova, who as a young girl in 1945 left a concentration camp as an orphan to face the startling reality that there is nowhere to return. For Gita, life is no longer a matter of right or wrong. It is purely a question of survival.

ABOUT THE TRANSLATORS

Translator Binh Slavická (1954) is a native of Hung Yen, currently living and working in the Czech Republic, and she is a lecturer in Vietnamese studies at the Institute of Asian Studies, Charles University. She is also a familiar translator of many classic Czech literary authors such as Jan Neruda, Karel Capek, Jiri Hubac... and she recently translated a massive novel about the soldier Svejk by the author Jaroslav Hasek.

Translator Hau Phamová (born 1968 in Hai Phong, now living in Prague, Czech Republic) is currently a licensed court interpreter and lecturer in Vietnamese studies at Charles University and other foreign languages centers.