Michal Ajvaz and Bianca Bellová

Michal Ajvaz is a writer whose work is distinctly intellectual and ornate. His imaginative 2011 novel “Lucemburská zahrada” (“Luxembourg Garden”), which the author is presenting at the VHL, in the words of critic Markéta Knittlová “comprises an intellectual foundation and is infused not only with inspiration from the adventure of reading, but also in the genius loci of urban space.”

Bianca Bellová, a Brno writer with Balkan roots, made her debut with the novel “Green Curry” inspired by a stay in India. Her latest novel, 2011’s “Mrtvý muž” (“Dead Man”), is an atypical love story about “living death”, a ferocious and harrowing book, that among other things “destroys all the stereotypes about women’s literature.” (Stanislav Šulc)