Dustopia, a successful novel trilogy by Vojtěch Matocha, revolves around a fictitious Prague district with no mobile signal, no electricity and no wireless connection. This is the backdrop for a trio of brave thirteen-year-olds who stand up to grasping mafiosi and prevent them from throwing the city into total darkness. The thrilling story is complemented by brilliant full-page drawings by Karel Osoha. Petr Hanel’s debut You Don’t Know Shit about Stars is one of few Czech YA titles available in translation. Written over a long period, the novel presents a successful take on contemporary adolescence with all the confusions and uncertainties that go along with it. The work is notable for its deft use of the language of teenagers of the “silicon generation”, and its inclusion of QR codes with links to popular songs.
Petr Hanel, Vojtěch Matocha, Karel Osoha, moderation Hana Hadas
