The Olga Tokarczuk Phenomenon in the Czech Cultural and Media Context

Abstract

Olga Tokarczuk has been one of the most read and popular Polish authors in the Czech Republic for the past quarter of a century. She brings unquestionable values to the Czech cultural and social scene, which are both an inspiration and a challenge for Czech readers. Her fictional worlds reflect her clear personal opinions and views on many problematic phenomena of the contemporary world, which she also declares in her civic attitudes. The cognitive value of her works is comparable to that of great Czech authors (K. Čapek, M. Kundera). The aim of the study is to show the personality of the author and the position of her work in the Czech cultural (translations, critical reception, reader reception) and media context (interviews, informative articles, appearances on television and radio, visits to the Czech Republic). The response in both contexts is growing with each newly translated book, especially noticeable in the
period after the Nobel Prize in 2019. Thirteen of her books have been translated into Czech (Petr Vidlák, Iveta Mikešová, Renata Putzlar Buchtová, Barbora Doležalová). Tokarczuk’s personality makes the element of mutual respect, harmony, sharing, crossing the borders of the state and the nation present in Czech-Polish ties. Her work and attitudes convey a deeply human perception of goodness, equality and justice.