Czech authors selected for Frankfurt Book Fair representation

Three Czech female authors have been selected to represent Czech literature at the Frankfurt Book Fair, where the Czech Republic will serve as the guest of honor this October. The winners of the manuscript competition are Iva Hadj Moussa for the novel ‘Krávy’, Veronika Opatřilová for ‘Barva duše’, and Ludmila Svozilová for the psychological novel ‘Jezero’.

An international jury, led by Professor Alessandro Catalano of the University of Padua, selected the winners through an anonymous process from 294 submissions. The judges evaluated the works based on literary quality, originality, and their potential to appeal to international readers. Each winner will receive a prize of 80,000 CZK and will have excerpts of their work translated into English, German, French, and Spanish to facilitate promotion in foreign markets.

The winners will personally present their works at the fair, which runs from October 7 to 11. The Czech presentation is themed ‘Czechia: A Land on the Coast’, a metaphor symbolizing the connection between Czech literature and the global ocean of stories.