Iva Procházková

Iva Procházková

A writer predominantly of children’s books, she also writes plays and fiction for adults. She publishes in Czech and in German, and her books have been published in translation in 15 countries. She is the recipient of many awards – five Golden Ribbons, two Magnesia Literas in the category of books for children and youth, as well as the most prestigious German award for children’s books, the Friedrich Gerstäcker Award. She was born in Olomouc on 13 June 1953 and is the daughter of the writer Jan Procházka.


Title Publisher Year Selected published translations Awards
Uncompromisingly (Nekompromisně ) Paseka 2019 DE
The Zodiac Murders: Lightly Dressed Girls ( Vraždy v kruhu: Dívky nalehko ) Paseka 2016 PL
The Zodiac Murders / Man at the Bottom (Vraždy v kruhu / Muž na dně) Paseka 2014 DE | PL
Elias and the Old Lady of the Egg (Eliáš a babička z vajíčka) Mladá fronta 2013 DE
Knots and Oranges (Uzly a pomeranče) Albatros 2011 DE  2012 Golden Ribbon Award – Literary section: Literature for youth
Naked (Nazí) Paseka 2009 DE  2010 Magnesia Litera – For children and youth
Fathers and Bastards (Otcové a bastardi) Paseka 2007
Mice Belong in Heaven (Myši patří do nebe) Albatros 2006 DE  2007 Golden Ribbon Award – Literary section: Literature for children
 2007 Magnesia Litera – For children and youth
Dance of Castaways (Tanec trosečníků) Mladá fronta 2006 DE
Don’t Be Silly, Christopher, and Climb Down!! (Kryštofe, neblbni a slez dolů!) Albatros 2004  2005 Golden Ribbon Award – Literary section: Literature for children
Elias and the Old Lady of the Egg (Eliáš a babička z vajíčka) Albatros 2002 DE
Joe Goes to Africa (Jožin jede do Afriky) Amulet 2000
Caroline (Karolína) Albatros 1999 ES | DE
The Owl's Song (Soví zpěv) Amulet 1999
The Main Victory (Hlavní výhra) Arsci 1996
Five Minutes to Dinner (Pět minut před večeří) Albatros 1996
July Has the Ears of a Donkey (Červenec má oslí uši) Albatros 1995
Wednesday Tastes Good to Us (Středa nám chutná) Albatros 1994 PL
The Time of Secret Wishes (Čas tajných přání) Albatros 1992
Guesthouse at the Crossroads (Penzion na rozcestí) Melantrich 1991
Who is Missing a Wheel? (Komu chybí kolečko?) Albatros 1980
Uncompromisingly
Nekompromisně
The Zodiac Murders: Lightly Dressed Girls
Vraždy v kruhu: Dívky nalehko
The Zodiac Murders / Man at the Bottom
Vraždy v kruhu / Muž na dně
Elias and the Old Lady of the Egg
Eliáš a babička z vajíčka
Knots and Oranges
Uzly a pomeranče
Naked
Nazí
Otcové a bastardi
Fathers and Bastards
Otcové a bastardi
Mice Belong in Heaven
Myši patří do nebe
Dance of Castaways
Tanec trosečníků
Don’t Be Silly, Christopher, and Climb Down!!
Kryštofe, neblbni a slez dolů!
Elias and the Old Lady of the Egg
Eliáš a babička z vajíčka
Jožin jede do Afriky
Joe Goes to Africa
Jožin jede do Afriky
Caroline
Karolína
The Owl's Song
Soví zpěv
Hlavní výhra
The Main Victory
Hlavní výhra
Five Minutes to Dinner
Pět minut před večeří
Červenec má oslí uši
July Has the Ears of a Donkey
Červenec má oslí uši
Středa nám chutná
Wednesday Tastes Good to Us
Středa nám chutná
Čas tajných přání
The Time of Secret Wishes
Čas tajných přání
Penzion na rozcestí
Guesthouse at the Crossroads
Penzion na rozcestí
Komu chybí kolečko?
Who is Missing a Wheel?
Komu chybí kolečko?
Award Year Country
Luchs Prize 2012 Deutschland
Golden Ribbon Award – Literary section: Literature for youth 2012 Česká republika
Magnesia Litera – For children and youth 2010 Česká republika
Friedrich Gerstäcker Prize 2007 Deutschland
Golden Ribbon Award – Literary section: Literature for children 2007 Česká republika
Magnesia Litera – For children and youth 2007 Česká republika
Golden Ribbon Award – Literary section: Literature for children 2005 Česká republika
Praise
The clever, realistic, skilfully constructed and in many ways unconventional plot is one of the best to be found in Czech detective novels in recent years.
—Pavel Mandys
Hospodářské noviny

After finishing her secondary-school studies Procházková was prevented from studying further due to political reasons. In the 1970s she could only publish sporadically and in 1983 she and her family emigrated to Austria and to Germany. She has written plays with her husband, the director Ivan Pokorný, and books for children and adults. Since returning to the Czech Republic in 1994 she has devoted herself to her writing

Her first book, Komu chybí kolečko? (Who is Missing a Wheel? Albatros, 1981) was published in 1981, while her next book, Výprava za zlatou rybičkou (Goldfish Expedition) was published by the company in exile, Sixty-Eight Publishers (1988).

She won her first Golden Ribbon for Čas tajných přání (The Season of Secret Wishes, Albatros, 1992) and the book also won the German Literature Prize for Children and Youth (1989), and it made it onto the 1989 List of Best Children’s Books in the USA. It tells the spring story of a girl called Kapka who moves home with her family to Prague’s Little Quarter. Although she suffers from the persecution which the Communist dictatorship inflicts upon her father, a sculptor, she is able to escape from her worries via a secret staircase which makes wishes come true.

There then followed the “whirlwind” of a book a year. Another Golden Ribbon came in 1996 for Pět minut před večeří (Five Minutes Before Dinner, Albatros, 1996). It is the story of a blind girl, Babeta, whose father tells her a story every day five minutes before dinner. It won the Austrian Prize for Children’s Literature (1993), the German Doctors’ Award (1993) and the North Rhine-Westphalia Literary Award (1994).

After another series of books (Hlavní výhra, Únos domů, Červenec nám chutná [The Main Victory, Home Kidnap, July Tastes Good to Us]) Procházková was awarded the Golden Ribbon in 1999 for Soví zpěv (Owl Song, Amulet, 1999), which also made it onto the International Honorary List IBBY 2000. Ten years before dystopian novels became fashionable, Procházková’s Owl Song tells the story of a seventeen-year-old boy from the year 2046, who, surrounded by alientating computer programmes, lacks human closeness and love.

There then followed Karolína (Caroline, Albatros, 1999), Jožin jede do Afriky (Joe Goes to Africa, Amulet, 2000) and Eliáš a babička z vajíčka (Elias and the Old Lady of the Egg, Albatros, 2002), and awards for the book Kryštofe neblbni a slez dolů (Don’t Be Silly, Christopher, and Climb Down! Albatros, 2004) and a Magnesia Litera (2007) for the story Myši patří do nebe (Mice Belong in Heaven, Albatros, 2006). In her brisk and humorous manner the author created a cycle in nature, whereby when the mouse becomes the fox’s prey, instead of fearing death the book embodies the hope of rebirth.

For her book Nazí (Naked, Paseka, 2009) Procházková was awarded the Magnesia Litera (2010) in the category of books for children and youth. The book tells the story of five adolescents and the humdrum as well as crucial moments in their lives. Lenka Secká wrote about the book for iLiteratura.cz that, “Thanks to the treatment of its subject matter this book has a special place in contemporary literary for children and youth. Iva Procházková is able to colourfully describe ordinary situations in life as well to penetrate into the inner lives of her characters, and thus convey her overall vision to readers.” The book was nominated twice for the German “Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis” literary prize.

These were followed by Uzly a pomeranče (Knots and Oranges, Albatros, 2011) about a boy growing up – a half-orphan who has taken on the responsibility of looking after his alcoholic father and sick sister.

One of Iva Procházková’s most important novels for adults is Tanec trosečníků (Dance of the Castaways, Mladá fronta, 2006), an anti-utopia set on Earth following a mysterious epidemic, with just Mojmír, a Romany boy, and a girl, Jessica, remaining. Otcové a bastardi (Fathers and Bastards, Paseka, 2007) is a Prague novel about relationships, Vraždy v kruhu (The Zodiac Murders, Paseka, 2014) is a detective novel which was turned into a series for Czech Television.

Notable awards
 2012 Golden Ribbon Award – Literary section: Literature for youth
 2010 Magnesia Litera – For children and youth
 2007 Magnesia Litera – For children and youth
 2007 Golden Ribbon Award – Literary section: Literature for children
 2007 Friedrich Gerstäcker Prize