Jacek Purchla will receive the Václav Burian Award

“The gala evening will include a conversation between Prof. Purchla and Prof. Zatloukal – two initiators and long-time directors of important Central European institutions. The moderator of their meeting will be art historian David Voda,” says Alexandr Jeništa, dramaturge of the Václav Burian Prize.

Last year, the Slovak poet and prose writer Katarína Kucbelová was awarded the prize for poetry, while the Ukrainian writer Taras Prochasko won the prize for Cultural Contribution to Central European Dialogue. “The Václav Burian Prize is an exceptional Central European literary award established in 2015 and commemorates the legacy of the Olomouc-based Polonist, poet, journalist and translator Václav Burian (1959-2014). Alongside the Wrocław-based Central European Angelus Literary Award, awarded by the Wrocław House of Literature, it is the only cultural and literary prize conceived in such a regional manner. The Central European focus on poetry and live reading in original languages is absolutely unique in the international context, not only in the Czech Republic but also in the whole region,” explains the founder of the Prize, Olomouc poet David Voda.

The Václav Burian Poetry Prize was awarded to the Polish poet Urszula Honek (Audience Award) and the Hungarian poet Zita Izsó (Poetry Award) during the competition part of the programme on 2 October.