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”). They were selected from a total of 294 manuscripts by a six-member international jury, comprising foreign Czech studies scholars and literary critics, chaired by Alessandro Catalan, Professor of Literary Studies at the University of Padua. Each of the prize-winners will receive prize money of 80,000 CZK and will present their respective novels in person at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair. In addition, extracts from their works will be translated into English, German, French and Spanish to aid further marketing in foreign markets. In the jury’s view, the winning manuscripts differ significantly in their poetic style, their narrative techniques and the way in which they engage with their audience.What they have in common, however, is a distinct authorial voice and the ability to transform their chosen subject matter into a compelling novel. These three very different novels thus demonstrate the capacity of Czech prose to appeal to readers even beyond the boundaries of the domestic literary scene.
“We were very pleasantly surprised by the number of manuscripts submitted. I am therefore all the more grateful to the jury for the time, commitment and care they devoted to the entire selection process. I am delighted that not only the works of the three winners, but also those of all ten finalists, are high-quality and interesting manuscripts that deserve recognition. The competition has thus fulfilled the purpose we set out to achieve when we conceived it – to invigorate the wider literary scene and perhaps to discover a work that would otherwise have remained hidden,” says Tomáš Kubíček, Director of the Moravian Library and head of the Czechia 2026 project, assessing the course of the competition.
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.
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.
Pictures: Polina Maliuk