Congratulations! Eli Beneš' debut „A Slight Loss of Loneliness“ in the prestigious „Books at Berlinale“ selection

For the first time in its twenty-year history, a Czech book has been included in the „Books at Berlinale“ selection, a joint project of the Berlinale film festival and the Frankfurt Book Fair, where the Czech Republic will be this year's guest of honor. It is Eli Beneš' debut „A Slight Loss of Loneliness“ (represented by the Prague Literary Agency), the story of a Jewish boy who survives an extermination camp and a death march and returns to his native Prague in May 1945 on the verge of mental and physical exhaustion.

"When I wrote the first page of this book, I thought that the greatest achievement would be to finish writing it. But I‘m happy that I was wrong, and I am, of course, very pleased," says Eli Beneš.

In total, this year's „Books at Berlinale“ project will present 10 books from around the world to more than 180 film producers in a moderated presentation on February 16. The titles presented were selected from nearly 100 submissions as those with the greatest potential for adaptation to the screen. The presentations will be followed by a networking meeting of publishers, literary agencies, and producers, to which participants are invited not only by the organizing Berlinale Co-Production Market and the Frankfurt Book Fair, but also by us as CZECHIA 2026.

The „Books at Berlinale“ project was launched in 2006 as the first market for film rights to literary adaptations at a Category A film festival. Its aim is to strengthen cooperation between the film and book industries, and the project is part of the Berlinale Co-Production Market.

We're keeping our fingers crossed for Eli to find a film producer! 🙂

You can find more information about this year's „Books at Berlinale“ selection here.

First picture: Václav Mašinda