Radovan Auer|Photo: Markéta Kachlíková, Radio Prague International
Some 800 writers and other guests from about 40 countries, including Ireland, Sweden, Spain, Chile and Portugal, will attend the World of Books international fair in Prague this year. In relation to this year’s centenary of the death of the Prague writer Franz Kafka, the program focuses its attention this time on literature in the German language, that is, from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, according to Radovan Auer, director of the Prague International Radio. fair.
“This year we worked, above all, with literary themes in the German language and with the literature of or about Franz Kafka, on the occasion of the centenary of his death. In addition, for some time we have had a section called ‘Literature, voice of freedom’, focused on the protection of Human Rights and freedom of expression, which is our fundamental long-term theme.”
The World of Book Fair (Svět knihy)|Photo: Svět knihy
Although the majority of visitors to the fair are usually Czech, the World of Books this year also offers improvements for foreign readers who visit the event, said Radovan Auer.
“Before, everything was in Czech, for Czech readers. But in view of the growing number of visitors from abroad to whom we also want to bring Czech literature closer, we have prepared four special blocks. Czech authors will be presented there and their lectures will be translated into the most spoken languages in the world so that foreign visitors can also enjoy them.”
According to Auer, the objective of the World of the Book is to spread literature and reading. For this reason, more and more countries and authors tend to be invited to attend. The fair, which will last until Sunday, this year accentuates the following phrase by Franz Kafka: “The book should be like an ax to break the frozen sea within us.”
The authors invited to the fair this year in Spanish are the Colombian Héctor Abad Faciolince, the Chilean Roberto Ampuero, the Spaniards Laura Chivite and Antonio Altarriba and the Peruvians Patricia Colchado and Luis Alonso Cruz. In the coming days, on Radio Prague International, you will be able to hear the impressions of all of them and what each one has brought to the largest book fair in the Czech Republic.
