Ota Filip


Ota Filip was a Czech novelist and journalist. He wrote in both German and Czech.

Life

Filip was born in Slezská Ostrava, in present-day Czech Republic. His novels have been translated into French, Italian, Spanish and Polish. During the communist era government of Czechoslovakia his works were banned or censored by the authorities, and after the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact Armed Forces in 1968, he was sentenced for his dissident activities, and incarcerated from 1969–71. He moved to Germany in 1974.
Filip was awarded the Adelbert von Chamisso Prize for German writing by a non-native German speaker.
On 28 October 2012, on the anniversary of the founding of the First Czechoslovak Republic, Czech President Vaclav Klaus awarded Filip a National Medal of Merit in Fine Arts.

Selected works