One of Slovakia's Most Translated Writers Pavel Vilikovsky Dies at 78

One of Slovakia's Most Translated Writers Pavel Vilikovsky Dies at 78

Bratislava, February 11 (TASR) – Slovak writer, translator and publicist Pavel Vilikovsky died on Monday (February 10) at the age of 78, with his daughter confirming his death to several media.

Vilikovsky was among a strong group of Slovak writers who significantly changed the landscape of Slovak literature in the 1960s. “I’ve never had the honour of experiencing easy writing; it’s always been a pure grind for me,” he once admitted. He won several literary awards, including two mayor Anasoft Litera awards. He often depicted humanity, history and absurdity via irony and parody.

Vilikovsky was born on June 27, 1941 in Paludzka (Zilina region), but he grew up in Bratislava. He later studied film directing in Prague before switching to studying the English and Slovak languages in Bratislava.

Many of his works have been translated into other languages, such as Hungarian, English, French and Polish, making him one of the most translated Slovak writers. Among his most well-known works are Fleeting Snow (Letmy sneh, 2014) and Escalation of Feeling (Eskalacia citu, 1989). The works for which he won the Anasoft Litera award were a collection of stories called A Magic Parrot and Other Kitsch and the novella The First and Last Love.