Procházková Iva

Iva Procházková (b. 1953) is considered the first lady of Czech children’s literature. Her extensive body of work has won numerous literary awards. These include Czechia’s prestigious Magnesia Litera and Zlatá stuha [Golden Ribbon] awards for children’s and YA literature as well as Österreichischer Jugendbuchpreis (Austria) and Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (Germany).

For political reasons, Procházková was unable to publish or study in Czechoslovakia. As a result, she worked in various jobs, including those of cook and cleaner. In 1983, Procházková, her husband and children left their homeland; they lived in Austria and Germany until 1995. The German weekly Die Zeit named Iva Procházková the most important figure in contemporary Czech literature for children and young adults. As her own children grew, she expanded her writer’s orbit to include literature for adults. Her highly acclaimed crime novels have been adapted and serialized by Czech Television. She lives in Prague, where she works as a freelance writer and screenwriter.