Jan Balabán
Encyclopedia
Jan Balabán was a Czech writer
, journalist
, and translator. He was considered an existentialist whose works often dealt with the wretched and desperate aspects of the human condition
.
, North Moravia
, Czechoslovakia
, Balaban moved with his family to Ostrava
when he was a year old. He graduated from Palacký University, Olomouc
with a degree from the Department of Philosophy
. Following graduation, he visited England, Canada and the United States. In 1984 he had a two-month internship at Kings College
in Scotland
. His first serious publication was a book of short stories – “The Middle Ages” (1985). He then worked as a technical translator at the Vítkovice
ironworks
and later as a freelance translator and journalist, making regular contributions to the magazine Respekt
. He also translated the works of H. P. Lovecraft
and Terry Eagleton
. In the 1990s, he, along with Petr Hruška, participated in publishing the magazine Landek.
Speaking of his steel-town home city, he recalled William Faulkner
(to whom he was compared), saying: “If you write about a place, you not only love it, but find much to hate.” Also a connoisseur
of the arts, Balabán's knowledge allowed him to write articles and essays for relevant art
journals
, exhibitions, catalogs and newspapers. A founding member of the group Prirozeni (The Natural – founded 1980), Balabán helped proliferate the underground arts community and rehabilitate the urban landscape by organizing exhibitions in attics, hallways, in subways and on slag heaps in the suburbs of Ostrava. One of Balabán's most important works, Možná že odcházíme (It May Be That We Go), is a collection of twenty stories in a hundred pages that deals with characters inspired by people from his home city and the difficult periods in their lives as they suffer disappointments and failures at work and home.
Balabán died on 23 April 2010 at the age of 49. In the week leading up to his death, he was in attendance in his hometown of Ostrava at a monthlong authors' festival held in both Ostrava and Brno
. Balabán was divorced with two children. In the last three years he had been working on a new book that dealt with the death of his father.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, and translator. He was considered an existentialist whose works often dealt with the wretched and desperate aspects of the human condition
Human condition
The human condition encompasses the experiences of being human in a social, cultural, and personal context. It can be described as the irreducible part of humanity that is inherent and not connected to gender, race, class, etc. — a search for purpose, sense of curiosity, the inevitability of...
.
Partial biography
Born in SumperkŠumperk
Šumperk is a town and district in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It is called "The Gate to Jeseníky mountains."- History :Šumperk was founded by German colonists in 1269. The German name Schönberg means "beautiful hill", and the name Šumperk is a Czech garbling of the original German...
, North Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Balaban moved with his family to Ostrava
Ostrava
Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...
when he was a year old. He graduated from Palacký University, Olomouc
Palacký University, Olomouc
The Palacký University of Olomouc is the oldest university in Moravia and the second-oldest in the Czech Republic. It was established in 1573 as a public university led by the Jesuit order in Olomouc, which was at that time the capital of Moravia and the seat of the episcopacy...
with a degree from the Department of Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. Following graduation, he visited England, Canada and the United States. In 1984 he had a two-month internship at Kings College
King's College, Aberdeen
King's College in Old Aberdeen, Scotland is a formerly independent university founded in 1495 and an integral part of the University of Aberdeen...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. His first serious publication was a book of short stories – “The Middle Ages” (1985). He then worked as a technical translator at the Vítkovice
Vítkovice (Ostrava)
Vítkovice is an administrative district of the city of Ostrava, capital of the Moravian-Silesian Region in the Czech Republic. Situated on the left bank of the Ostravice River in the Moravian part of the city, Vítkovice was a town in its own right until its incorporation in 1924.-History:The...
ironworks
Ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
and later as a freelance translator and journalist, making regular contributions to the magazine Respekt
Respekt
Respekt is a weekly newsmagazine in the Czech Republic, reporting on domestic and foreign political and economic issues, as well as on science and culture....
. He also translated the works of H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
and Terry Eagleton
Terry Eagleton
Terence Francis Eagleton FBA is a British literary theorist and critic, who is regarded as one of Britain's most influential living literary critics...
. In the 1990s, he, along with Petr Hruška, participated in publishing the magazine Landek.
Speaking of his steel-town home city, he recalled William Faulkner
William Faulkner
William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career...
(to whom he was compared), saying: “If you write about a place, you not only love it, but find much to hate.” Also a connoisseur
Connoisseur
A connoisseur is a person who has a great deal of knowledge about the fine arts, cuisines, or an expert judge in matters of taste.Modern connoisseurship must be seen along with museums, art galleries and "the cult of originality"...
of the arts, Balabán's knowledge allowed him to write articles and essays for relevant art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
journals
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
, exhibitions, catalogs and newspapers. A founding member of the group Prirozeni (The Natural – founded 1980), Balabán helped proliferate the underground arts community and rehabilitate the urban landscape by organizing exhibitions in attics, hallways, in subways and on slag heaps in the suburbs of Ostrava. One of Balabán's most important works, Možná že odcházíme (It May Be That We Go), is a collection of twenty stories in a hundred pages that deals with characters inspired by people from his home city and the difficult periods in their lives as they suffer disappointments and failures at work and home.
Balabán died on 23 April 2010 at the age of 49. In the week leading up to his death, he was in attendance in his hometown of Ostrava at a monthlong authors' festival held in both Ostrava and Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
. Balabán was divorced with two children. In the last three years he had been working on a new book that dealt with the death of his father.
Published works
- Středověk (Mittelalter), Sfinga, 1995 – Erzählungen Středověk (Middle Ages), Sfinga, 1995 – Stories
- Boží lano (Gottes Seil), Vetus Via, 1998 – Erzählungen Boží lano (God's Rope), Vetus Via, 1998 – Stories
- Prázdniny (Ferien), Host, 1998 – Erzählungen Prázdniny (Holiday), host, 1998 – Narratives
- Černý beran (Der schwarze Widder), Host, 2000 – Roman Černý beran (The Black Ram), host, 2000 – Roman
- Srdce draka (Das Herz des Drachen), Aluze, 2001 – Comic Srdce Draka (The Heart of the Dragon), Aluze, 2001 – Comic
- Kudy šel anděl (Wohin der Engel ging), Vetus Via, 2003, Host, 2005 – Roman Kudy Sel anděl (Where the Angel Went), Vetus Via, 2003, Host, 2005 – Roman
- Možná že odcházíme (Kann sein, dass wir gehen), Host, 2004 – Erzählungen Možná že odcházíme (It May Be That We Go), Host, 2004 – Stories
- Jsme tady (Wir sind hier), Host, 2006 – „Eine Geschichte in zehn Erzählungen“ Tady jsme (We Are Here), Host, 2006 – "A story in ten stories"
- Bezruč?, 2009 – drama (along with Ivan Motyl, first mentioned in 2009 in Ostrava Petr BezručPetr BezrucPetr Bezruč was the pseudonym of Vladimír Vašek , a Czech poet and short story writer who was associated with the region of Austrian Silesia.Bezruč was born in Opava and died in Olomouc.- Works :Poetry...
Theatre)
Awards
- “It May Be That We Go” – the Magnesia LiteraMagnesia LiteraMagnesia Litera is an annual book award held in the Czech Republic since 2002. The prize covers all literary genres in eight genre categories: prose, poetry, children’s book , non-fiction, essay/journalism , translation, publishing achievement, book debut, and the main prize – one of the genre...
2005 for prose – as well as a nomination for the “State Prize for Literature”.