Famous Czech Writers

Milan Kundera is a Czech writer who became a naturalized French citizen in 1981 after going into exile in France in 1975. Although his Czechoslovak citizenship was revoked four years after going into exile, he received Czech citizenship in 2019, thanks to his achievements as a writer. He is the recipient of several prestigious awards, such as the Jerusalem Prize.

Karel Čapek was a Czech writer, critic, and playwright. He is best remembered for his science fiction work, including his play Rossum's Universal Robots and his novel War with the Newts. Credited with introducing the word robot, Karel Čapek's works were celebrated after World War II. He was also nominated for the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature on seven occasions.

Bohumil Hrabal was a Czech writer who adapted an expressive style of writing. Hrabal, whose works have been translated into many languages, is counted among the 20th century's greatest Czech writers along with fellow satirists Karel Čapek, Jaroslav Hašek, and Milan Kundera.

Initially a bank clerk, Jaroslav Hašek later dedicated his life to writing. The Czech author is best known for his iconic historical satire The Good Soldier Schweik. He had also been imprisoned as a Russian prisoner of war during World War I and was known for his bohemian life.

Dolly Buster is a Czech-German author, filmmaker, and retired pornographic actress. She appeared in more than 100 X-rated European movies and was named the hottest porn star in Germany in 2009. Dolly Buster also has a Lifetime Achievement Award, presented at the Venus Awards, and a Special Jury Award under her belt. Buster has also written a series of crime-novels.

Milena Jesenska was a Czech writer, editor, journalist, and translator. She is best remembered for translating Franz Kafka's works from German to Czech and for her romantic relationship with Kafka when she was still married to Ernst Pollak. She is also known for her action of saving the lives of many Jewish and political refugees when the Nazis occupied Czechoslovakia.

Vilém Flusser was a Czech-born Brazilian philosopher and writer. Born into a family of Jewish intellectuals, he enrolled at the Juridical Faculty of Charles University in Prague. Most of his family was killed during the Holocaust. He survived and went on to pursue an academic career. He wrote many books, including the vastly popular Towards a Philosophy of Photography. 

Jaroslav Seifert was a Czech writer, journalist, and poet. He is best remembered for winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1984 for his poetry. He was regarded as the leading representative of the artistic avant-garde movement in Czechoslovakia during the 1920s. Jaroslav Seifert's poetry received important state prizes and he was nominated National Artist in 1967.

Jan Werich was a Czech playwright, actor, and writer. He is best remembered for his partnership with Jaroslav Ježek and Jiří Voskovec as the trio produced many successful left-wing political satires. After World War II, which forced the trio to move to the USA, Werich returned to his homeland and started working alongside personalities like Jiří Trnka and Miroslav Horníček.

Julius Fučík was a Czech journalist, writer, and critic. An important member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, Fučík led the party's anti-Nazi resistance movement for which he was captured, tortured, and executed. Fučík became a national hero, especially among students growing up in Communist Czechoslovakia. The reverence of Fučík in Communist Czechoslovakia is portrayed in the book, The Joke.    

Jan Neruda was a Czech writer, journalist, art critic, and poet. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential exponents of Czech Realism and his work promoted Czech nationalism. Neruda is also remembered for his relationship with Karolína Světlá and the letters exchanged between them formed the basis of the movie, The Story of Love and Honor. 

Božena Němcová was a Czech writer who was active during the Czech National Revival movement. She is best remembered for her 1855 novel Babička (The Grandmother), which was inspired by her own childhood in the Ratibořice village where she spent most of her time with her maternal grandmother, Magdalena Novotná. Božena Němcová's image is portrayed on the 500 CZK currency note.  

Karel Hynek Mácha was a Czech poet whose work Máj is widely regarded as one of the finest Czech poems ever written. Mácha's works were recognized and glorified posthumously as he died at age 25, one day before his wedding. Karel Hynek Mácha's life and career, including his romance with his fiancée Eleonora Šomková, inspired the 1937 eponymous biographical film.

Josef Skvorecky was a Czech-Canadian publisher and writer. He is best remembered for his work that aimed at supporting and publishing Czech literature, which was banned during the communist era. Josef Skvorecky received several prestigious awards, such as the Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 1980, Czech Republic State Prize for Literature in 1999, and the Angelus Award in 2009.

Bolek Polívka is a Czech actor, screenwriter, playwright, and mime artist. He is one of the best-known proponents of Czech mime. Bolek Polívka is also known for his film roles, such as Vicar Holý in Forgotten Light and Josef Čížek in Divided We Fall, for which he was honored with the prestigious Czech Lion Awards.      

Karel Havlíček Borovský was a Czech writer, politician, publisher, critic, poet, and journalist. He is credited with popularizing a newspaper called National News, which became one of the most popular and influential publications of the late 1840s under his guidance. Karel Havlíček Borovský's life and career inspired a biographical film which released in 1925. 

Ivan Klíma is a Czech playwright and novelist. A Holocaust survivor, Klíma went on to become an important writer. Over the course of his illustrious career, Ivan Klíma has received several prestigious awards such as the Franz Kafka Prize, the Magnesia Litera Award, and the Czech Literary Prize.

Arnošt Lustig was a Czech author best remembered for writing novels, plays, short stories, and screenplays. Some of his most popular books include A Prayer For Katerina Horowitzowa, Dita Saxová, and Lovely Green Eyes. Arnošt Lustig was honored with the National Jewish Book Award in 1980 and 1986.

Alois Jirásek was a Czech writer best remembered for writing plays and historical novels. An important literary figure, Jirásek received four nominations for the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature during his illustrious career. Alois Jirásek is counted among the most prominent Czech writers of all time.

One of the greatest Jewish rabbis of his time, Adolf Jellinek is remembered for his association with the New Learning of Judaism and for his writings on the Kabbalah. He promoted the science of Judaism and penned the six-volume Bet ha-Midrash. He was the father of lawyer and professor Georg Jellinek.

Czech nobleman Krystof Harant was, at the same time, a traveler, a soldier, a composer, and a writer. He was recognized as one of the finest Bohemian composers of his time and was a major figure of the Franco-Flemish polyphony school of music. He was eventually executed for revolting against the king.

Egon Bondy was a Czech philosopher, poet, and writer. One of the most important figures of the Prague underground, Bondy published about 30 books of poetry and 20 novels. Despite the existential background of his work, Egon Bondy's texts are considered fresh and entertaining. 

Luděk Pachman was a Czechoslovak-German chess player, political activist, and chess writer. Pachman, who was awarded the Grandmaster title in 1954, won seven Czechoslovak championship titles between 1946 and 1966. Luděk Pachman published 80 books in five languages and became the leading opening expert in the world during the 1950s with the publication of his book, Theory of Modern Chess.

Emil František Burian was a Czech poet, singer, actor, journalist, musician, composer, playwright, dramatic adviser, and director. Burian had a major influence on Czech modern theatre. His innovative staging methods and inventions continue to serve as an inspiration even today. A communist, Emil František Burian was also active in politics.  

Regarded as the Czech national poet, Vladimír Vašek is best known by his pseudonym, Petr Bezruč. Although he worked as a postal officer throughout his life, Bezruč created masterpieces such as Silesian Songs, which is a collection of his poems on the Czech Silesia and its people.

Jiří Mahen was a Czech playwright, novelist, and essayist. After starting his career as a journalist for one of the leading Czech newspapers, Lidové noviny, Mahen went on to establish himself as a famous novelist and playwright. Among his most important works are Kamarádi svobody, Měsíc, and Jánošík.

František Langer was a Czech-Jewish screenwriter, essayist, playwright, publicist, literary critic, and military physician. Langer played an important role as a physician during the First and Second World War. As a playwright, František Langer is best remembered for The Camel Through the Needle's Eye, which was staged as a Broadway production in 1929. 

Jan Milíč was a Czech Roman Catholic priest who emerged as one of the most influential preachers of the then-emerging Bohemian Reformation during 14th century. Along with other Bohemian writers and preachers of that time, Jan Milíč paved the way for the activity of the philosopher and Church reformer, Jan Hus.