Markéta Hejkalová
area: Literature
Key Facts
nationality
Czech Republicarea
Literatureresidence
Praguerecommending institution
BMEIAtime period
January 2019 - February 2019Markéta Hejkalová is a Czech publisher, writer, translator as well as founder and manager of the Autumn book fair.
1991 - has founded own Autumn Book Fair in Havlickuv Brod, whuch became the second largest Book Fair in Czech Republic
1994 - together with her husband Martin Hejkal founded „family business“ Hejkal Publishing
1996 - 1999 worked for Czech Embassy in Helsinki, Finland, as Cultural Attaché and Consul
since 2004 until now teaching Finnish lliterature, Masaryk University, Brno (seminar for translators)
2006 – elected as a Vicepresident of Czech Centre of Pen International (re- elected in 2009, 2012, and 2015)
2009 – elected as a member of International Board of PEN International
2011 – started to organize another book fair – Book Fair in Ostrava
2012 - elected as a member of Board of PEN International for the second term (till 2015)
2013 - until now - participation in bookfairs as writer of translated books (Tirana 2013, Sofia 2013, Vienna 2013, Belgrade 2016) and literary festivals (Lahti, Finland, 2015, Pilsen, Czech republic - European Cultural Capital 2015, Danube Day festival Galati, Romania in 2018 etc.)
2014 - member of Czech writers association - Asociace spisovatelů
2018 - member of board of Czech Centre of PEN International
Translations of Finnish writers Mika Waltari, Arto Paasilinna and Leena Lehtolainen
Original works, translated into foreign languages:
Vždycky jedna noc (It´s allways just one night), novel, Hejkal Publishers 2004
published in Russian: По одной приходят ночи (translated to Russian by Olga Akbulatova), Globus Publishers, Sankt Petersburg 2009
Fin Mika Waltari (Finn Mika Waltari), non-fiction, Hejkal Publishers 2007
published in English (in Finland): Mika Waltari, the Finn, translated from Czech to English by Gerald Turner, WSOY, Helsinki 2008
Kouzelník z Pekingu (The magician from Beijing), novel, Hejkal Publishers, 2008
published in German: Der Zauberer aus Peking (translated to German by Johanna Posset) Braumueller, Verlag Vienna 2012
Důkazy jejího života (The evidences of her life), novel, Hejkal Publishers 2010
published in Bulgarian: Доказателства за нейния живот (translated to Bulgarian by Margarita Kyurkchieva, Ergo Publishers Sofia 2012)
published in Albanian: Nje Kosovar ne jeten time (translated to Albanian by Kestrina Peza, OM Publishers Prishtina 2013)
Rudé paprsky severního slunce (Red strays of northern sun), novel, Hejkal Publishers 2014, published in Serbian: Rujni zraci severnog sunca, Clio Publishers, Belgrade 2016
Two main purposes:
Writing the novel. I am writing the novel, one part happens now, in these days, and it describes one day in a small town, stories and problems of one family and several surrounding persons. Second level goes back to the history, to the mostly tragical story of the same family, beginning in the times of Austro-Hungarian empire and influenced mostly by the communist regime in Czechoslovakia after 1948.
During my residence I would like to write the first version of the novel, above all the "historical" part.
Presenting my latest novel Měj mě rád/a /Love me / Hab mich lieb
In 2012 my novel "Der Zauberer aus Peking" was published by Braumueller Verlag in Vienna, recommended by Christa Rothmeier and translated from Czechz by Johanna Posset.
Now, I would like to present my another novel Měj mě rád/a (Love me, Hab mich lieb), which is also partly historical, starting in 1902 and finishing in 2017. There are both fictive and real persons. Two real persons are Reinhard Heydrichś widow Lina, who latzer married a Finisch poet Mauno Manninen, son of very famous and very improtant Finish writer Anni Swan (who wrote books for children). Second real person is infamous Czech communist prosecutor from 1950, Karel Cizek, who was son of woman writer Fringilla, who wrote also books for children. I hope - and I am sure - this book could be interesting for Austrian and German readers and I woul like to find a translator and publisher in Austria, and also organize reading for public in cooperation with Czech Centre in Vienna. During this reading, I would also present Autumn Book Fair, which I have been organizing in my hometown since 1991. and which is second largest book Fair in Czech Republic. This year, one of the guests was Austrian writer Josef Haslinger.