Jáchym Topol
Encyclopedia
Jáchym Topol is a Czech
writer.
Topol's writing began with lyrics for the rock band Psí vojáci, led by his younger brother, Filip
, in the late '70s and early '80s. In 1982, he cofounded the samizdat
magazine Violit, and in 1985 Revolver Revue
, a samizdat review that specialized in modern Czech writing.
Because of his father's dissident activities, Topol was not allowed to go to university. After graduating from gymnasium
he worked as a stoker, stocker, construction worker, and coal deliveryman. Several times he was imprisoned for short periods, both for his samizdat publishing activities and for his smuggling across the Polish border in cooperation with members of Polish Solidarity. He was also a signatory of the Charter 77
human rights declaration.
During the 1989 Velvet Revolution
in Czechoslovakia
, Topol wrote for the independent newsletter Informační servis, which later became the investigative weekly Respekt
. As of October 2009, he was on the staff of the daily Lidové noviny.
He currently lives in Prague with his wife, Barbara, and their two daughters, Josefína and Marie.
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
writer.
Life
Jáchym Topol was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, to Josef Topol, Czech playwright, poet, and translator of Shakespeare, and Jiřina Topolová, daughter of the famous Czech Catholic writer Karel Schulz.Topol's writing began with lyrics for the rock band Psí vojáci, led by his younger brother, Filip
Filip Topol
Filip Topol is a Czech singer, songwriter, and pianist.He is the younger brother of Jáchym Topol, the son of Josef Topol, and the grandson of Karel Schulz....
, in the late '70s and early '80s. In 1982, he cofounded the samizdat
Samizdat
Samizdat was a key form of dissident activity across the Soviet bloc in which individuals reproduced censored publications by hand and passed the documents from reader to reader...
magazine Violit, and in 1985 Revolver Revue
Revolver Revue
Revolver Revue is a Czech magazine, published in Prague, Czech Republic, from 1985 to 1989 as an underground periodical and issued legally after the Velvet Revolution. A complete archive of "Revolver Revue" exists at Libri Prohibiti, a library of prohibited and banned books and samizdat in Prague....
, a samizdat review that specialized in modern Czech writing.
Because of his father's dissident activities, Topol was not allowed to go to university. After graduating from gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
he worked as a stoker, stocker, construction worker, and coal deliveryman. Several times he was imprisoned for short periods, both for his samizdat publishing activities and for his smuggling across the Polish border in cooperation with members of Polish Solidarity. He was also a signatory of the Charter 77
Charter 77
Charter 77 was an informal civic initiative in communist Czechoslovakia from 1976 to 1992, named after the document Charter 77 from January 1977. Founding members and architects were Václav Havel, Jan Patočka, Zdeněk Mlynář, Jiří Hájek, and Pavel Kohout. Spreading the text of the document was...
human rights declaration.
During the 1989 Velvet Revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
in 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...
, Topol wrote for the independent newsletter Informační servis, which later became the investigative weekly 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....
. As of October 2009, he was on the staff of the daily Lidové noviny.
He currently lives in Prague with his wife, Barbara, and their two daughters, Josefína and Marie.
Poetry
- Miluju tě k zbláznění (I love you madly; samizdat, 1988)
/ Topol's first collection of poetry, published in samizdat, received the Tom Stoppard Prize for Unofficial Literature (founded in 1983 by Tom StoppardTom StoppardSir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and...
and awarded by the Charta 77 Foundation in Stockholm); first non-samizdat edition published by Atlantis in 1990.
- V úterý bude válka (The war will be on Tuesday; Edice 13x18, 1992)
/ Five poems from this collection were published in Alex ZuckerAlex ZuckerAlex Zucker is an American literary translator.-Life and career:Zucker was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. From ages 4 to 17, he lived in East Lansing, Michigan. He attended college at UMass Amherst, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Zoology in 1986...
's translation in the Spring 1994 issue of Trafika: an international literary review.
Novels
- Sestra (Sister; Atlantis, 1994)
/ Received the 1995 Cena Egona Hostovského (Egon Hostovský Prize), awarded for a "novel which artistically exceeds the standard production"
/ English translation Alex ZuckerAlex ZuckerAlex Zucker is an American literary translator.-Life and career:Zucker was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. From ages 4 to 17, he lived in East Lansing, Michigan. He attended college at UMass Amherst, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Zoology in 1986...
: City Sister Silver (Catbird Press, 2000)
/ Also translated into German, Hungarian, and Polish (Siostra, trans. Leszek EngelkingLeszek EngelkingLeszek Engelking - Polish poet, short-story writer, critic, essayist, scholar, and translator....
, Wydawnictwo W.A.B., 2002) - Anděl (Angel; Hynek, 1995)
/ German translation Peter Sacher: Engel Exit (Volk und Welt, 1997)
/ French translation Marianna Canavaggio: Ange exit (J'ai lu, 2002)
/ Turkish translation Martin Alaçam: Andel (Norgunk, 2005)
/ Also translated into Hungarian - Noční práce (Nightwork; Hynek, 2001)
/ French translation Marianna Canavaggio: Missions nocturnes (Laffont, 2002)
/ Polish translation Leszek EngelkingLeszek EngelkingLeszek Engelking - Polish poet, short-story writer, critic, essayist, scholar, and translator....
: Nocna praca (Wydawnictwo W.A.B., 2004)
/ Also translated into Dutch, German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish - Kloktat dehet (Gargling tar; Torst, 2005)
/ English translation by David Short: Gargling with Tar, forthcoming from Portobello Books, London, in spring 2010
/ French translation Marianna Canavaggio: Zone cirque (Editions Noir Sur Blanc, 2009)
/ Polish translation Leszek EngelkingLeszek EngelkingLeszek Engelking - Polish poet, short-story writer, critic, essayist, scholar, and translator....
: Strefa cyrkowa (Wydawnictwo W.A.B., 2008)
/ Also translated into Dutch, German and Italian.
Novellas
- Výlet k nádražní hale (Outing to the train station concourse; Edice Slza, 1994, limited edition of 350)
/ English translation Alex ZuckerAlex ZuckerAlex Zucker is an American literary translator.-Life and career:Zucker was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. From ages 4 to 17, he lived in East Lansing, Michigan. He attended college at UMass Amherst, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Zoology in 1986...
: A Trip to the Train Station (Petrov, 1995, Czech-English bilingual edition) - Chladnou zemí (Chilly land; Torst, 2009)
/ Swedish translation Tora Hedin: Kallt land (Ersatz, 2009) ISBN 978-91-88858-95-5
/ Received the 2010 Cena Jaroslava Seiferta
Short Stories and Plays
- Zlatá hlava (Golden head; Torst, 2005)
- Supermarket sovětských hrdinů (Supermarket of Soviet heroes; Torst, 2007)
Translations
- Trnová dívka (Thorn girl; Hynek, 1997)
/ A collection of Native American legends and myths, selected and translated into Czech from English by Topol
Song Lyrics
- Psí vojáci: Sestra: Jáchym Topol & Psí Vojáci (1994)
- Monika Načeva: Možnosti tu sou (There's possibilities here; 1994)
- Monika Načeva: Nebe je rudý (The sky is red; 1996)
- Monika Načeva: Mimoid (Out of id; 1998)
Films
- Anděl Exit (Angel Exit; 2000), directed by Vladimír MichálekVladimír MichálekVladimír Michálek is a Czech film director and screenwriter.- Life :Michálek graduated from Czech film Academy FAMU, Prague, in 1992. Starting during his academic study he was filming documentaries...
; screenplay by Vladimír Michálek and Jáchym Topol. - Sestra (Sister; 2008), directed by Vít Pancíř; screenplay by Vít Pancíř based on the novel by Jáchym Topol; music by Psí Vojáci.
Other
- Nemůžu se zastavit (I can't stand still; Portál, 2000)
/ A book-length interview with Topol by Tomáš Weiss
External links
- Jáchym Topol in Transcript: The European Internet Review of Books and Writing, no. 6: Czech Writing.
- Rob Trucks: A conversation with Jáchym Topol. Posted 28 July 2005. An interview with Jáchym Topol in five parts.
- Jáchym Topol in Transcript: The European Internet Review of Books and Writing, no. 22: Identity Revolutions.
- Lyndsey Matthews: Journalism or Surrealism? Posted 16 October 2007. Jáchym Topol visits a journalism class.
- Blog for City Sister Silver with links to reviews.