Radka Denemarková discusses literature and politics at Frankfurt Book Fair

At the Frankfurt Book Fair, author Radka Denemarková delivered a speech addressing the inseparable connection between literature and politics. Denemarková questioned the possibility of separating the two in a contemporary era characterized by political instability, the rise of new forms of fascism and totalitarianism, and global conflicts such as those in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan.

She described the current state of Europe as 'browning' and framed the central question of the modern age as a choice between an open democracy and a closed society. Denemarková also reflected on the historical context of Czech culture, noting how the contributions of German and Jewish authors, such as Franz Kafka, were long suppressed or tabooed in the region following the displacement of Germans and the deaths of Jewish populations.

Critics of her speech, such as Marek Řezanka, have argued that her perspective is ideologically narrow, suggesting she overlooks certain geopolitical realities, such as American foreign policy, while focusing heavily on European and regional political shifts.