Slovakia in Prague

To be guest of honour at an international book fair presents the guest country with a significant opportunity to draw the attention of the public in the host country to values the guest deems important. This is why the chance to be guest of honour at BookWorld Prague 2013 is of extraordinary significance for Slovakia. In cooperation with many other cultural organizations and institutions, the Centre for Information on Literature (LIC) – sponsor of the annual participation of Slovak publishers at international book fairs and sponsor of the Slovak Republic’s guest-of-honour status in Prague – has prepared an accompanying programme the aim of which is to display Slovak literature, culture and art to a Czech and international public. In our preparations we have drawn on three important anniversaries: the centenary of the birth of Dominik Tatarka, the 1150th anniversary of the arrival in Great Moravia of the mission of Saints Cyril and Methodius, and, last but not least, the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the Czech and Slovak Republics, which gives us an opportunity to make an attractive presentation of Slovak literature to the Czech public.

In determining the main themes of this year’s accompanying programme – Books We Can’t Put Down, The Diversity of Poetry – the organizers of BookWorld have naturally taken the Slovak programme into account.

Our programme at BookWorld Prague 2013 draws not only on the three above-mentioned anniversaries; at its centre is a presentation of twenty books by Slovak authors which, at the LIC’s initiative, are appearing in Czech translation from May 2012 to May 2013. Twenty is an extraordinary figure when one considers that in a typical year four or five works such works are published in Czech. The LIC considers its cooperation with Czech publishers to be a major support for and focus of its accompanying programme.

In preparing their programme for Slovakia’s participation at BookWorld Prague the Slovak organizers have focused keenly on different audiences, i.e. on the professional and the general publics as well as on children and young people. For children there is a varied programme that stretches over four days and includes illustrator’s workshops, staged readings and screenings of Slovak animated films, plus other presentations, games and competitions. There will also be seminars for professionals on how to encourage children and young people to read.

The Slovak Republic’s main aims as guest of honour at BookWorld Prague are without doubt to increase interest among general and professional publics in the Czech Republic and further afield and to raise awareness of Slovak culture and Slovakia in general by means of literature and literature-based events.

In addition to translation of works by Slovak authors and their availability on the Czech market, we expect that definite results of Slovakia’s participation as guest of honour at BookWorld Prague 2013 will include other joint projects in fields of literature, culture, media, theatre, etc.

THE LIC

The Centre for Information on Literature (LIC) is a state-run contributory organization whose authority is the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic. Its aims are to monitor, represent and promote contemporary Slovak literature at home and abroad. It organizes the presentation of Slovak books at selected book fairs and exhibitions abroad and Slovakia’s participation at accompanying literary and cultural events; it works with foreign publishing houses on the publication of works by Slovak authors and supports this publication financially.

Contact:
Literárne informačné centrum
Nám. SNP 12,
812 24 Bratislava,
Slovenská republika

Tel.: +421-2/2047 3506
Fax: +421-2/5296 4563
E-mail: lic (zavináč) litcentrum.sk
Web: www.litcentrum.sk