A year ago, Poland was to be the guest of honour at the International Book Fair and the Svět knihy (“Book World”) Literary Festival in Prague. The plans were thwarted by the coronavirus pandemic. After more than a year, the fair and festival are returning to the calendar of literary meetings. The Book Institute together with the Polish Institute in Prague has prepared a programme and a national stand where it will be possible to meet writers, have a discussion, read, and buy books.
The programme includes six authors, two new exhibitions, and a concert. The emphasis was on presenting non-fiction, novels with historical background, illustrations for children’s books, and the works of Stanisław Lem.
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PROGRAMME
Friday 24 September
18.00 Literární sál [Literary Theatre]
Dobrovolník v Auschwitz (”The Auschwitz Volunteer”)
Meeting with British reporter Jack Fairweather, author of the book The Volunteer: The True Story of the Resistance Hero Who Infiltrated Auschwitz.
19.00 Polish stand S103 / book signing: Jack Fairweather
Saturday 25 September
12.00 Autorský sál [Authors’ Theatre]
Jak nakrmit diktátora? (“How to Feed a Dictator”)
Meeting with Witold Szabłowski, author of the reportage book Jak nakarmić dyktatora (“How to Feed a Dictator”)
Host: Petr Vizina
13.00 Polish stand S103 / book signing: Witold Szabłowski
14.00 Dokořán Publishing House stand / book signing: Witold Szabłowski
13.00 Sál fantasy&sci-fi [The fantasy&sci-fi room]
Budoucnost v bublinách – The Future in the Clouds: opening of the comics exhibition and award ceremony for the winners of the comics competition
14.00 Sál fantasy&sci-fi [The fantasy&sci-fi room]
Příběh budoucnosti – Telling the Future: discussion by Tomasz Rożek and Václav Cílek
Meeting on the occasion of Stanisław Lem’s Year
15.00 Polish stand S103 / book signing (with a surprise): Tomasz Rożek, author of Kosmos o tajemstvích vesmíru.
17:00 Literární salon [The Literary Salon]
Bezcitné dějiny – Heartless history: Martyna Bunda and Karin Lednická
Polish-Czech discussion of historical novels and two unusual regions: Kashubia and Silesia
18:00 Polish stand S103 / book signing: Martyna Bunda and Karin Lednická
19:30 Stage Gauč ve Stromovce / Concert of the band Hańba!
Punk, folk, and klezmer music and lyrics of poets from the interwar period
Sunday 26 September
11.00 Rosteme s knihou [Rośniemy z książką]
Pojďte s námi do pohádky! – What a fairy tale: let’s go there! Workshop for children aged 4-8 with illustrator Maciej Szymanowicz
15.00 Literární sál [Literary Theatre]
Nekorunovaný polský král – The uncrowned ruler of Poland: Rafał Łatka and Jaroslav Šebek
Discussion on the new biography of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, which has just been published in the Czech Republic
