Michaela Kukovičová graduated from the animation studio at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, where she now works as an assistant in the Illustration and Graphics Studio. She focuses on book and magazine illustration, animation, directing music videos and short films, and illustrating for websites. She leads children's art workshops in cities including Prague, Brno, Bratislava, Warsaw, Bucharest, and Vienna. Kukovičová collaborates with the graphic studio REDESIGN and publishes books with Baobab, Akropolis, Labyrint, and Albatros publishers. Her work breathes new life into the poetic and pop-art approach to using found materials, and is playful and often surprising. Michaela Kukovičová has won awards in competitions such as the Most Beautiful Book of the Year and the Golden Ribbon.
Born in Hradec Králové but raised in Zlín, Alžběta was profoundly influenced by painter and poet Jaroslav Kovanda at the Robinson art school, who taught her to appreciate colors, percieve the world around her and observe life. She completed her education at the Secondary School of Arts and Crafts in Uherské Hradiště before advancing to study illustration and graphics at UMPRUM in Prague. Zemanová now works at the NaPOLI studio, specializing in creating paper foldings, cutouts, and author’s books. She is also a co-manager of the Xao Bookstore and Gallery in Prague's Vršovice district, alongside Klára Zahrádková, Jakub Plachý, and Zuzana Bramborová. A lover of nature, she cultivates a variety of plants including cornflowers, beans, and herbs in her garden in the Podkrkonoší region. Zemanová has a passion for bringing fictional characters to life, crafting them into both fabric and paper toys with their unique stories and personalities under her brand AKA.
Dora Dutková studied philosophy at FFUK in Prague and completed her studies in illustration and graphics at VŠUP in Prague. Her activities include drawing, graphic design, animated film, and illustration. Her authorial children's book Vytahaný koblih (The Stretched Donut) was published by the Scientia publishing house, and she recently illustrated Christian Morgenstern's Gallows Songs for the Labyrint publishing house. Her own book, Papaver, was published by the Argo publishing house.
Helena Beguivinová was born in 1951 in Prague and graduated high school in 1970. She spent the 1970s mostly in Brittany. Upon returning to Prague, she worked as a librarian at the Institute of Paint Materials while also engaging in technical translations from French and English. Gradually, she shifted to specialized translations in the humanities. Since the beginning of 1989, she has worked as a freelance translator and interpreter. From 1995, she has translated books, mainly in the humanities but also fiction. She has translated works by authors such as Raymond Aron, Jean-Claude Schmitt, René Girard, Arnold Van Gennep, Gilles Lipovetsky, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Fernand Braudel, Jean-Luc Chalumeau, Maurice-Ruben Hayoun, Marthe Robert, Evelyne Sullerot, Jacques Heers, Marc Bloch, Enzo Traverso, Renaud Camus, Daniel Pennac, Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt, Jorge Semprun, Jean-Michel Guenassia, Michel Pastoureau, and even a poetry anthology from the work of Edmond Jabès.
In 2005, her translation of Michel Rozenfarb's detective novel Chapeau! received a creative award from the Translators' Association. Her translation of the youth book Winter’s End by Jean-Claude Mourlevat was nominated for the Golden Ribbon award in 2008. In 2009, Helena Beguivinová received the Jan Vladislav Prize, awarded by the French Embassy for translations supported by the Šalda Program. In 2012, her translation of Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky was awarded the Magnesia Litera prize in the category of translated literature.
Zuzana Demlová works across the fields of community, art, and education. She leads the "Jihlava Educates through Culture" project for the city government of Jihlava, as part of the strategy for culture and tourism. Since 2018, she has coordinated the "School Dances" project for the SE.S.TA Centre for Choreographic Development. She is a co-founder of the KVAS association, where she leads projects focused on public space (the experiential Urban Game in Jihlava and Prague 14), contributes to the creation of concepts, methodologies, and teaches in educational projects (the media workshop Hatefree – School for Everyone / Media Creatively for the Aisis association / Using Digital Photography in Art Education for teachers in cooperation with the National Gallery Prague / IntegrArt and Art for Social Change – Play Against Violence in cooperation with Media Artes Ohrid, Macedonia). Her book Pohádky o kolečkách a nekonečnu (Tales of Circles and Infinity) was awarded in the Golden Ribbon 2019 competition in the non-fiction literature for children category. She is a graduate of the multimedia field at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Brno University of Technology. She has completed internships at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cluj, Romania, and the Academy of Fine Arts, multimedia studio, Milan, Italy.
Tereza Horváthová is a publisher, editor, translator, writer, and organizer. She graduated from the Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague, with a degree in French language and literature. In 2000, she and her husband Juraj Horváth founded Baobab, a publishing house for children's books. In 2011, she conceived and organized the first edition of the Tabook festival, an international event for small quality publishers. Beyond her publishing work, she writes children’s books, prose, and poetry, occasionally translates, and writes screenplays. She initiates nonprofit cultural events and engages in mild political-cultural activism. For her book Modrý tygr (The Blue Tiger), she received the Golden Ribbon award for 2005. The book was adapted into a film of the same name, directed by Petr Oukropec. She lives in Tábor, where she and her husband are raising eight children.
Juraj Horváth graduated from the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, where he studied in the Illustration and Graphics Studio under Professor Jiří Šalamoun. He also completed internships in the Photography Studio (doc. Pavel Štecha) and in Lettering and Typography (prof. Jan Solpera). Horváth dedicates himself to drawing, graphic arts, graphic design, illustration, and publishing books for children and young adults through the Baobab publishing house, which he runs with his wife, Tereza Horváthová. He is behind the street project POPROSVET. As a graphic artist and illustrator, he works for publishers such as Argo, GplusG, Labyrinth, Torst, and Triad. He has published in magazines like Souvislosti, Dotyk, Revolver Revue, and Park. Since 2000, he has been in charge of creating the visual style for the International Documentary Film Festival in Jihlava. For the book Příběhy z Parní lázně (Tales From the Sweat Lodge), he received the award for The Most Beautiful Book of the World at the Leipzig Book Fair in 2001. Since 2003, he has been leading the Studio of Illustration and Graphics at UMPRUM in Prague. From 2010 to 2015, he created the exhibition program for the Baobab Gallery, focusing on graphics, authorial books, illustration, along with other currents in contemporary art that are more visual than conceptual. Since 2012 he has worked with Jan Čumlivský to prepare the art portion of the international book festival Tabook.
Sylva Fischerová studied French at a language school in Brno. In 1983, she began studying philosophy at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University, and physics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University. In 1985, she switched to classical philology at the Faculty of Arts, where she graduated in 1991 with a thesis on Problém jednoty areté u Platóna (The Problem of Unity of Virtue in Plato) on the Protagoras dialogue. From 1995 to 2003, she completed her postgraduate studies there, culminating in her dissertation Mohou Múzy lhát? (Can the Muses Lie?). Since 1992, she has been working at the Institute of Greek and Latin Studies as a senior lecturer. Currently, she teaches ancient Greek literature, religion, and philosophy at Charles University. She is the author of eleven poetry collections and also writes short stories, novels, and children's books. For her book interview with philosopher Karel Floss, Bůh vždycky zatřese stavbou (God Always Shakes the Building) (Prague 2011), she received the Czech Literary Fund Foundation Award. In 2018, she became the first Poet Laureate of Prague.
Alžběta Skálová, studied animated film at the Prague School of Applied Arts under Jiří Barta and later illustration and graphics with Juraj Horváth. She further enriched her artistic experience with internships in Paris and Baltimore. Skálová's artistic repertoire spans painting, with a focus on watercolor, graphic arts, and object art. Renowned as an illustrator and author, she self-published her works with small publishers like Kopr and NaPOLI. At NaPOLI, alongside M. Kupsová and A. Zemanová, she delved into her own creative projects – particularly books, posters, and paper games – making a mark in exhibitions for small publishers and contemporary design both in the Czech Republic and internationally, including Japan. She played a pivotal artistic role in K. Karhánková's acclaimed animated film "Fruits of Clouds" (2017), which garnered multiple awards, including Best European Short Film for Children at the Berlinale.
Skálová has a longstanding collaboration with Baobab Publishing and has published with Labyrint, Albatros, Brod, and the French publisher MeMo. Her illustrations and books have earned her prestigious recognitions like the Most Beautiful Czech Book and Magnesia Litera awards.
Her work is exhibited widely, both domestically and abroad, with her most comprehensive exhibition, "Walking in Twilight," held at the Villa Pellé Gallery in 2019. Skálová lives and works in Prague and the countryside.
František Tichý, born in Prague in 1969, has been working with children and teenagers since he was sixteen, initially as a summer camp and group leader. After earning his degree in biology and chemistry education from the Faculty of Science at Charles University, he co-founded the alternative high school Přírodní škola (Natural School) in 1993, which he still leads. He chronicled the school's unique beginnings in Přírodní škola – cesta jako cíl (Natural School - The Journey as the Destination) (Geum, 2012) and followed up with Výchova jako dobrodružství aneb to se v té Přírodní škole učíte na stromech? (Education as an Adventure, or Do You Learn in Trees at the Natural School?) (Geum, 2017), a reflection on his educational principles and experiences peppered with anecdotes from his time with students. Aside from his educational work, Tichý enjoys playing guitar, singing, cross-country skiing, swimming, hiking, and has interests in astronomy, biology, and modern physics. His writing, primarily aimed at young audiences, includes the samizdat Můj přítel Dominik (My Friend Dominik) (2008), blending Christian theology with fantasy, and Transport za věčnost (Transport to Eternity) (Baobab, 2017), a novel set during the Protectorate era that intertwines the stories of Jewish and Christian families against the backdrop of the Terezín ghetto and resistance activities, based on authentic historical materials. This novel won the Magnezia Litera award in 2018 and has been translated into Polish and Bulgarian.
František Tichý also edited the poetry collection Hned vedle bílá barva mráčků (The White Color of the Clouds Alongside) by Hanuš Hachenburg, a fourteen-year-old Terezín prisoner, with its second English-Czech edition winning first place for the most beautiful book of 2013. He processed the legacy of Josef Jan Kratochvíl, a resistance fighter and founder of radio exercises, in Dopisy z dáli (Letters from Afar). Both figures are featured in his novel Transport za věčnost. Tichý dedicated years to gathering materials on Petr Ginz, culminating in the biography Princ se žlutou hvězdou (The Prince with the Yellow Star) (Geum, 2014), awarded the Golden Ribbon for factual literature for children and youth. Additionally, he wrote and produced three plays with his students: Terezínské zvony (Terezín Bells), set in the Terezín ghetto; Návštěva z pravěku (A Visit from Prehistory), linking Petr Ginz's fate with his eponymous novel; and Podzimní příběh (An Autumn Story), set in Prague at the end of 1989.
Vojtěch Mašek, a librettist, screenwriter, artist, composer, and lyricist born in 1977, graduated in screenwriting from the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU). He made his directorial and screenwriting debut with the absurdist story of an exhibitionist called Tomík and his parents, which was featured in the anthology film Šest statečných (1999). He’s also contributed to several short student films. He and his classmate Džian Baban created, among other things, the comic trilogy Monstrkabaret Freda Brunolda uvádí (2004 to 2008) and a series of theater performances titled Jožkalipnikjebožíčlověkaneumílhát!, which were performed at Studio Hrdinů. Vojtěch Mašek introduced the concept of Recykliteratura, which involves combining photographs and texts found in books and magazines to create mainly short anecdotes, often absurd in nature, which sometimes form a cohesive story. This concept gained a lot of popularity on Facebook. In collaboration with director Václav Kadrnka and dramaturg Jiří Soukup, Vojtěch Mašek wrote the screenplay for the historical drama Křižáček (2017). The film, inspired by the epic poem by Jaroslav Vrchlický, is set in the high Middle Ages and received nine Czech Lion nominations, including for the screenplay.
František Štorm is a typeface designer, typographer, graphic artist, educator, specialized journalist, and musician. In 1993, he founded the Střešovice Type Foundry (later Storm Type Foundry) in Prague, which offers over 800 original fonts, including some of Štorm's original creations (like Serapion, 1997; Comenia Serif, 2009; Trivia, 2012). He has illustrated, among others, the collected works of Howard Phillips Lovecraft (since 2010). He is the author of Eseje o typografii (2009) (Essays on Typography). Štorm's talent is expressed across a variety of artistic disciplines. He engages in woodcutting, watercolor, photography, music composition, writing, and lecturing…
Lukáš Fišárek graduated from the studio of animated film and television graphics at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague under Professor Barta. He works as a graphic designer and animator in his own studio, Oficina. He also plays the drums in the band Mezon.
Ivana B. Englmaierová graduated from the Faculty of Education at Charles University in Prague. After her studies, she began teaching, initially at a primary school and later at an art school, focusing on literature, drama, and visual arts. She is dedicated to working with and for children, organizing and co-organizing exhibitions of children's work. She co-authored three books for children about visual arts (Divus 1997) and is an active member of the Klášter association. She lives and works in Bechyně.
Markéta Pilátová is a Czech writer, Hispanist, and journalist. She graduated in Romance Studies and History from the Faculty of Arts at Palacký University in Olomouc. After her studies, she worked there for six years as a research assistant. From 2007 to 2008, she was the head of the foreign editorial office at the weekly magazine Respekt. She then traveled to Argentina and Brazil, spending five years in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo, and Buenos Aires. There, she taught descendants of Czech expatriates who had emigrated from Czechoslovakia to Brazil and Argentina. Her essays, foreign policy articles, reports, reviews, short stories, and author columns are published in various Czech media outlets (such as Respekt, Lidové noviny, and the cultural supplement of Právo Salon). She also writes short stories for the radio station Vltava and song lyrics for singer Monika Načeva. Currently, she works in the cultural department of the Cervantes Institute. She is married and lives in Prague and Velké Losiny.
Veronika Holcová is a painter, illustrator, and graphic artist who graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. Her work is dreamlike and poetic, with references to romantic painting.
Jakub Kudláč, aka KK, was born years ago in Bratislava. He went to conservatory, studied composition, and played in the Bratislava band Volvic pič. He composed and recorded music for many animated films. Later, he moved to Prague and started a family. He lectures on film music at Tomas Bata University in Zlín, studies philosophy, and composes music for both film and theater. His first album, Baomuzikk, was released by Baobab publishing.
Petr Borkovec is a poet, writer, editor, translator, and literary activist. A graduate of Jan Kepler Gymnasium in Prague, he studied Czech language and literature at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University, from 1989 to 1995 but did not complete his degree. He has worked as an editor for several magazines, taught at a literary high school, and directed and dramatized literary programs.
Currently, he is an editor at Fra publishing house and a dramaturge for the Fra literary café since 2005. He leads a seminar at VŠKK and regularly collaborates as a columnist with the literatura website, Vltava radio station, and magazines A2, Host, Full Moon, as well as with the Slovak literary review Fraktál.
His poetry collections include Prostírání do tichého (1990), Poustevna, věštírna, loutkárna (1991), Ochoz (1994), Mezi oknem, stolem a postelí (1996), Polní práce (1998), Needle-Book (2003), and a free cycle of twelve poems titled A.B.A.F. (Opus), Vnitrozemí, Sebrané a nové básně 1990-2005 (2002, Fra). His prose works include Berlínský sešit / Zápisky ze Saint-Nazaire (2008, Fra; second expanded edition as Zlodějíček, 2014), Jedna věta (Revolver Revue), Milostné básně (2012, Fra), Herbář k čemusi horšímu (2018, Fra), Lido di Dante (2017, Fra), and Petříček Sellier & Petříček Bellot (2019, Fra). His children's books include Všechno je to na zahradě (2013, Běžíliška), O čem sní (2016, Běžíliška), Věci našeho života (2017, Cesta domů), and Každá věc má něco společného se štěstím (2019, Běžíliška).
After completing his studies at the Secondary School of Applied Arts in Uherské Hradiště, Chrudoš Valoušek graduated in monumental painting from the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (UMPRUM) in 1979–1985. Since then, he has worked variously as a stoker, security guard, restorer, and repository manager. A master of linocut, he is a recipient of the Řádu staré hrmy BKS (the BKS Order of Old Junk), a laureate of the Revolver Revue Award, and the first-ever award dedicated to linocut at the Graphic of the Year event. He is renowned for both his illustrations and his free linocut art, as well as his unique diary entries.
His literary works include Události, komentáře (1960–2020) (Events, Commentary), Puppet, Plum Pit, Plum, And Back to Puppet (Vojtěch Mašek, 2019), Valouškova zvířátka (2014) (Valoušek's Animals), Chrudošův zvěřinec (2014) (Chrudoš's Menagerie), Zazi v metru) (Zazie in the Metro) (Raymond Queneau, 2010), Žaloudění v Kundibále (J. Z. Lévi-Ostrowid, 2010), Chrudošův mix přísloví (2008) (Chrudoš's Mix of Proverbs), O zlaté mrkvi (2003) (The Golden Carrot). His book Puppet, Plum Pit, Plum, And Back to Puppet won the prestigious Bologna Ragazzi Award 2019 for Fiction, as well as the esteemed Dutch Zilveren penseel (Silver Brush) award.
