A Novel for Frankfurt

We would like to thank all the authors who submitted entries to the Novel for Frankfurt competition. We received a total of 294 manuscripts. The winners of the ‘Novel for Frankfurt’ competition, organised by the Moravian Regional Library as part of the preparations for the Czech Republic’s status as Guest of Honour at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, are three female authors – Iva Hadj Moussa with the novel Krávy (“Cows”), which is characterised by black humour; Veronika Opatřilová with the tender narrative “Barva duše” (“The Colour of the Soul”); and Ludmila Svozilová with the psychological novel “Jezero” (“Lake”).

Panel of judges

prof. Alessandro Catalano
Mgr. Alena Šidáková Fialová, Ph.D.
doc. Erik Gilk, Ph.D.
Mgr. Iveta Gonzálezová
prof. Dr. Holt Meyer
Mgr. Klára Soukupová, Ph.D.

The Winners

The novel Krávy (Cows) by writer, screenwriter and psychologist Iva Hadj Moussa is particularly striking for its black humour and cynicism, with which the trio of central heroines react to external stimuli. The jury was impressed by a text that is well-structured and thematically coherent, forming a world of its own whilst at the same time offering a distinctive commentary on the present day. “I’d been carrying the idea for the novel ‘Krávy’ within me for a long time. Then, this winter, it somehow bubbled out of me, and by mid-April the manuscript was finished. I told myself I’d try my luck and submit it to the ‘Román pro Frankfurt’ competition. When the news came that ‘Krávy’ was heading to Germany, I could hardly believe it. I have quite serious doubts about my writing and about myself, so my first reaction was: ‘Someone’s made a mistake. It must be an administrative error.’ Once I’d made sure it was all correct, the uncertainty subsided and all that remained was pure joy. In our household, the motto ‘From Božetice to Frankfurt’ has since taken hold. I’m absolutely delighted!” says Iva Hadj Moussa.

Barva duše (The Colour of the Soul) by the writer and literary translator from Swedish and English, Veronika Opatřilová, is a tender story of characters whose fates unfold across several time periods in northern Sweden. The jury was impressed by the literary craftsmanship and expressiveness of the work: The vivid, poetic yet powerful language skilfully conveys the story’s melancholic and emotionally charged atmosphere; the text sensitively weaves together motifs of sensory impressions with a nuanced psychological characterisation.
“I’ve always dreamt of taking my writing beyond the borders of the Czech Republic, but that seemed impossible to me. When I heard about the ‘Novel for Frankfurt’, I decided to take the risk, and to be honest, I can hardly believe it’s worked out. It is a great honour for me to be part of the Czech literary delegation at this year’s fair,” says Veronika Opatřilová.

Jezero by the Czech writer, visual artist, ceramicist and illustrator Ludmila Svozilová is a concisely composed psychological novel that skilfully employs the conventions of the thriller genre. The jury was impressed by this technically accomplished and compelling text, which combines psychological layers with subtly portrayed elements of mystery and the supernatural, maintaining suspense whilst at the same time prompting a deeper reflection on one’s own existence. “This is my most extensive and probably also my best-crafted novel. The first draft was written back in 2012, and I have revisited it time and again since then. I can therefore, in good conscience, describe ‘Jezero’ as a text that has accompanied me practically from the very beginning of the writing process and has grown dear to my heart over time – which was probably my strongest motivation for submitting it to the competition. I had no doubt that there would be a great deal of interest in the competition and that the jury would receive many high-quality entries. I was therefore very pleasantly surprised that my manuscript, of all things, will be going to Frankfurt,” concludes Ludmila Svozilová.

The entire selection process was conducted anonymously. Before the manuscripts were submitted to the international jury, all details relating to the authors were removed; the jury members did not learn the authors’ names until after the final decision had been made. Ten novels made it through to the final round. And, as the jury emphasises, selecting the three winning manuscripts proved very difficult, as the works of the remaining seven authors also deserve recognition for their quality. Alongside the winners, the following authors (in alphabetical order) made it into the top ten: Roman Forst, Eva Franková, Štěpán Kuchlei, Eugen Liška, Alice Škrlant, Barbora Vajsejtlová and Ivo Vysoudil.

About the Competition

The Moravian Library in Brno is holding a public competition under the name A Novel for Frankfurt to mark the role of the Czech Republic as Guest of Honour at the 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair. The purpose of the competition is to discover, support, and promote new Czech novels that have the potential to appeal to an international readership and play an important role in the presentation of Czech literature and culture at the 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair.

Who can enter

The competition is open to all authors writing in Czech, regardless of whether they are just starting their careers or already have several publications to their name. We are looking for original, completed, hitherto unpublished novels.

What you can win

Each of three selected authors will be awarded CZK 80,000.
Support from the Czech Literary Centre – translation of excerpts from a novel into English, German, French, and Spanish.
The chance to present your novel at the world's largest book fair in 2026, where it will be presented to both professional and lay visitors.
Reimbursement of expenses related to travel and accommodation in Frankfurt am Main in 2026.