Czech Novel Bílá Voda Wins Poland’s Angelus Award
Czech author Kateřina Tučková has won Poland’s Angelus Central European Literature Award for her novel Bílá Voda, taking both the main jury prize and the Natalia Gorbanevskaya Reader’s Award. The book, translated into Polish by Julia Różewicz and published by the Afera publishing house, emerged victorious from a shortlist featuring authors such as Serhiy Zhadan, Georgi Gospodinov, and Milena Marković.
Historical Roots and Jury Assessment
The Angelus prize is awarded annually to living authors from 23 Central and Eastern European countries whose work addresses contemporary themes and fosters cultural understanding. According to the jury, Tučková’s Bílá Voda uniquely combines historical research into archives with vivid character creation, weaving complex narratives into the history of Bohemia and Moravia. This marks the second time a Czech novel has received the honor, following Josef Škvorecký and translator Andrzej Jagodziński in 2009 for The Engineer of Human Souls.
The Significance of the Gorbanevskaya Prize
Accepting the reader’s prize bearing the name of the late Russian dissident and poet Natalia Gorbanevskaya, Tučková highlighted the political resonance of the recognition. Gorbanevskaya protested the 1968 Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. That award speaks to the fact that we are connected in Europe, that we see each other, that we listen to each other,
Tučková said.
Cultural Policy Criticisms in Prague
Tučková used her acceptance to criticize Czech Culture Minister Ota Klempíř from the Motoristé sobě party, pointing to what she described as efforts to dismantle the existing cultural framework. In a time when our scene is being disrupted by a new state cultural policy… when support will only go to apolitical art that conforms to current state priorities, at such a time this message is immensely important for us,
she stated.
Passing the Wroclaw Residency to Ukraine
The reader’s prize includes a residential stay in the Polish city of Wroclaw. As a working mother based at home, Tučková announced she is transferring the residency to Ukrainian author Yuliia Iliukha, writer of My Women, and her son. Because of maternal solidarity. And because Ukraine is now fighting for the future of all of us and we see it,
Tučková explained.
Previous Accolades for Bílá Voda
Before receiving the Angelus award, Tučková’s novel collected multiple domestic honors, including the Czech State Prize for Literature, first place in the fiction category of the Deník N Book of the Year poll, the Lidové noviny Book of the Year for 2022, and the Czech Bestseller award for adult fiction. Tučková previously won critical acclaim for her earlier novels The Expulsion of Gerta Schnirch and Goddesses of Žítková.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Angelus Award
Who founded the Angelus Central European Literature Award and when?
The Polish literary prize was established in 2006 to honor outstanding prose by living authors from Central and Eastern Europe that has been published or translated into Polish.
Which other authors were nominated alongside Kateřina Tučková this year?
The shortlist included notable writers such as Serhiy Zhadan, Georgi Gospodinov, and Milena Marković, several of whom have won the distinction in previous years.
Who translated Bílá Voda into Polish?
Julia Różewicz of the Afera publishing house which also released the winning prose, translated the novel into Polish.
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