NEWS
Nordic Literature Evening
In connection with the book fair Book World Prague, the Scandinavian House in cooperation with the publishing houses Argo and Host, the Royal Embassy of Norway in Prague, the Embassy of Sweden in Prague and the Literary Café Řetězová organizes a meeting with the Nordic guests of the book fair. The noble guests of the discussion will be the Finnish writer Alexandra Salmela, the Norwegian writer Roy Jacobsen, the Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen and the Swedish writers John Ajvide Lindqvist and Åsa Larsson.
The moderated discussion, divided into several parts, will be also enriched by scenic reading and authors’ book signing. After the discussion, the visitors can buy present authors books for reduced price.
In Czech, Slovak, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish; interpreted into Czech
Admission free
Nordic writers at the fair Book World Prague 2012
With its accompanying literary festival and international reach, Book World Prague is the largest event for books in the Czech Republic. Over four days visitors can acquaint themselves with practically every producer of books on the Czech market; this concerns primarily fiction, but also the publishing activities of most university presses and publishers of specialist literature. Altogether about 400 exhibitors from more than 30 countries and regions from all over the world are represented at the fair.
This year shall be many Nordic writers at the book fair: Roy Jacobsen (Norway), John A. Lindqvist, Torsten Petterson and Åsa Larsson (Sweden), Jussi Adler-Olsen (Danmark) and Alexandra Salmela, Leena Parkkinen, Vilja-Tuulia Huotarinen, Markus Nummi and Jarkko Tontti (Finland).
The Norwegian Royal Embassy in Prague, the Swedish Embassy, the cultural centre Scandinavian House and the literary webside iLiteratura cordially invites you to visiting the Nordic exhibition space with contemporary Norwegian and Swedish literature in Czech translation. On Saturday at 2 pm the Swedish writer John A. Lindqvist will sign his books Let the Right One In and Handling the Undead there.
Strindberg's week in Prague
The penultimate week of May will be dedicated to undoubtedly the greatest giant of Swedish, and by extension Scandinavian literature – August Strindberg (1849–1912). In 2012, we are commemorating the centennial anniversary of the death of the playwright, writer and versatile artist. To present his personality and work as comprehensively as possible, Scandinavian House prepared for you a unique project Strindberg’s week. Its program will be divided into a total of four evenings from 21 to 24 May, during which you will learn about various aspects of Strindberg's works, and take a look even in the privacy of the artist.
You can look forward to meeting with translators of Strindberg’s works into Czech, showing two films made by the legendary Swedish director Alf Sjöberg based on Strindberg’s plays or a lecture on the stage version of his dramas. During Strindberg's week our special guest, Mr. Erik Höök from the Strindberg Museum in Stockholm, is also coming to introduce viewers to the personality of August Strindberg from a slightly different perspective – as a painter, photographer, musician and alchemist. Mini-festival will culminate on Thursday 24 May, when you are offered a unique insight into the author’s psyche through his private correspondence with his wives, which was specifically for this purpose translated into Czech. This part is also treated very attractively in the form of a theater performance.
On the 28th May a part of the festival's program will move to Brno where Strindberg's Week Echo in Brno takes place.
Detailed program is available in the following article.
Strindberg's Week Echo in Brno
In 2012, we are commemorating the centennial anniversary of the death of the Swedish playwright, writer and versatile artist August Strindberg. To present his personality and work as comprehensively as possible, Scandinavian House prepared for you a unique project Strindberg's week.
The festival's echo, called Strindberg's Week Echo in Brno, will take place on the 28th May in Brno.
In Brno you can learn about various aspects of Strindberg's works, and take a look even in the privacy of the artist. You are invited to a lecture on the stage version of his dramas by Karolína Stehlíková from Masaryk university in Brno called "This is Strindberg... unpleasant and bothersome to watch as some painting by Munch“ . Then you are offered a unique insight into the author’s psyche through his private correspondence with his wives, which was specifically for this purpose translated into Czech. This part is also treated very attractively in the form of a theater performance called Your Gusten (Writes Love Letters).
Detailed program is available in the following article.
Finnish film The Good Son released in Czech cinemas
Finnish film The Good Son (original title: Hyvä poika) by the Finnish director Zaida Bergroth was released in Czech cinemas on the 10th May 2012.
Directed by: Zaida Bergroth
Written by: Zaida Bergroth, Jan Forsström
Cinematography by: Anu Keränen
Film editing by: Jan Forsström
Starring: Samuli Niittymäki, Elina Knihtilä, Eetu Julin, Eero Aho
Synopsis of The Good Son: An actress named Leila leaves the city with her two sons in order to avoid the tabloids. While the younger son, the reclusive Unto, wanders the neighborhood with his camera, the older Ilmari is annoyed by any “intruder“ who would threaten the relationship with his beloved mother. When mother's new lover begins to stay with the family, Ilmari's “protective tendencies“ become increasingly more dangerous. Director Zaida Beregroth focuses on a psychological portrait of the unhealthy relationship of a son and his mother. The picture was awarded the Gold Hugo at last year's IFF in Chicago (New Directors Competition).
Meeting the translators of August Strindberg's work
Three Czech well-respected translators of August Strindberg's work, Dagmar Hartlová, Zbyněk Černík and František Fröhlich, will be the guests of the anchored discussion focused on their different translation approaches to Strindberg's prose and drama. They will also talk about how they have dealt with the specific translation problems while translating Strindberg. At the end the audience can raise their questions about Strindberg's works. Helena Březinová will be the talk show host.
The talk show is a part of the Strindberg's week project.
In Czech.
Admission: CZK 40 (or CZK 30 for the members of Scandinavian House and The Municipal Library of Prague).
Book your tickets online!
Bergman? No, Strindberg!
The second day of Strindberg’s week brings us two films by the Swedish legendary film and stage director Alf Sjöberg (1930–1980). You can look forward to two films: Miss Julie (Fröken Julie, 1951) and The Father (Fadern, 1969), both sensitively made adaptations of Strindberg plays which are rightfully considered one of the jewels of Swedish cinema.
As a part of the evening you can hear a short lecture on the approach to treatment of Strindberg’s plays in films.
Films are in Swedish with Czech subtitles, lecture is in Czech
Admission: CZK 90 (CZK 70 for members of Scandinavian House)
Book your tickets online!
Pianist Leif Ove Andsnes at Prague Spring International Music Festival
The celebrated Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes will hold two concerts during the Prague Spring 67th International Music Festival in the Rudolfinium on May 22, 20:00 and May 23, 20:00. Leif Ove Andsnes has won worldwide acclaim as a pianist, and on his two evenings in Prague he will present work from Ludwig van Beethoven and Igor Stravinskij.
The New York Times has called Leif Ove Andsnes “a pianist of magisterial elegance, power and insight.” With his commanding technique and searching interpretations, the celebrated Norwegian pianist has won worldwide acclaim, prompting the Wall Street Journal to call him “one of the most gifted musicians of his generation.” He studied at the Bergen Music Conservatory under the renowned Czech professor Jiří Hlinka. He gives recitals and plays concertos each season in the world’s leading concert halls and with the foremost orchestras. Andsnes is also an active recording artist, as well as an avid chamber musician who has joined select colleagues each summer at Norway’s Risør Festival of Chamber Music. He will serve as Music Director of the 2012 Ojai Music Festival in California.
Admission: 150–700 CZK (www.festival.cz)
Known Unknown August Strindberg
Wednesday’s programme of Strindberg’s week offers two outstanding lectures: On Strindberg’s plays, tradition of staging his plays in our country and the impact on domestic theatrical scene which gives a theatre researcher Karolína Stehlíková from the Masaryk University in Brno.
In the second lecture, the personality of August Strindberg is presented from an unusual point of view. Erik Höök from the Strindberg Museum in Stockholm will acquaint the audience with the peripheral areas of Strindberg’s work including painting, music, photos or alchemy.
The first lecture is given in Czech, the second one in Swedish (interpreted to Czech)
Admission: CZK 40 (CZK 30 for members of Scandinavian House and The Municipal Library of Prague)
Book your tickets online!
Your Gusten (Writes Love Letters)
Strindberg's week will be topped off with a unique show about Strindberg's life on Thursday 24th. Come and get acquainted with the complicated family relationships of August Strindberg!
August Strinberg is a man who hates women and loves letters. We can prove it with Miss Julie and twenty two books of his collected letters… From Strindberg's correspondence, the most outstanding are the letters he used to send to Siri von Essen and Harriet Bosse, two women he loved truly, married enthusiastically – and divorced badly depressed.
Besides the unique letters, translated into Czech for the very first time, a part of this remarkable collage will be the fragments of his plays, along with few entries from Occult Diary (Ockulta Dagboken, 1977) and above all the one-act play The Stronger (Den starkare, 1889), put into a wholly new context.
Admission: CZK 60 (or CZK 50 for the members of Scandinavian House and The Municipal Library of Prague).
Book your tickets online!
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