Czech Literary Translators’ Guild

The Czech Literary Translators’ Guild (Czech: Obec překladatelů, OP) is a Czech professional association of literary translators and theorists of literary translation. It was founded in 1990, shortly after the fall of the communist regime, and its stated aim is to protect the rights and interests of translators and to raise the prestige of literary translation in the Czech Republic. Since the first half of the 1990s it has been a member of CEATL, the European Council of Associations of Literary Translators. The Guild is best known for its annual awards. Since 1991 it has presented the prestigious Josef Jungmann Award for the best translation of the previous year, announced each year on 30 September, the feast day of St Jerome, the patron saint of translators. Within that framework it also grants further prizes for exceptional literary achievements. It regularly organizes the Jiří Levý Competition, named after the important Czech translation theorist, which awards prizes to young and beginning translators in several categories. The public encounters the winning translations through literary evenings and literary magazines. In an effort to resist commercial pressures and the dilettantism of some publishers, the Guild traditionally convenes a jury that grants the annual anti-award Skřipec (the “Thumbscrew”) for the worst translation of the year; the results are announced at the Svět knihy book fair in Prague. Representatives of the Guild sit on the jury of the annual State Prize for translation work and serve on juries deciding the annual literary awards Magnesia Litera, Slovník roku and Zlatá stuha. The Guild organizes thematic conferences on issues of literary translation, often with guests from Czech and foreign institutions, and runs literary translation workshops for young translators and other interested parties. It takes part every year in exhibitions and accompanying programmes of major book fairs: in the Czech Republic Svět knihy and the Autumn Book Fair in Havlíčkův Brod. On the Guild’s initiative, shortly after its founding, the publication Zamlčovaní překladatelé 1948–1989 (“Silenced Translators 1948–1989”) appeared, listing the real translators of 662 literary translations from the period of cultural and political unfreedom, when the best Czech translators depended on the courage and conspiracy of friends in order to publish and defend their existence. Since 2005 the Guild has awarded the non-entitlement Hana Žantovská Creative Scholarship, funded by a donation from Irena Murray Žantovská and Michael Žantovský, whose mission is to support the publication of poetry translations into Czech. The Guild also maintains a public database of translators and editors, offers literary translation courses for beginners and advanced students, organizes talks and lectures for schools and the general public, and holds ceremonial award ceremonies. It publishes news on its website, including announcements of award shortlists and statements on cultural policy. It is a membership-based, non-profit professional body rather than a commercial publisher, but it functions as a brand-like institution within the Czech literary field, with its awards and anti-award serving as recognized quality signals.

The Czech Literary Translators’ Guild (Obec překladatelů) was founded in 1990, in the immediate aftermath of the Velvet Revolution, when Czech cultural institutions were being reorganized and professional groups re-established. Its founding purpose was to protect the rights and interests of literary translators and to contribute to the prestige of literary translation in the Czech Republic. From the first half of the 1990s the Guild has been a member of CEATL (Conseil européen des associations de traducteurs littéraires — the European Council of Associations of Literary Translators), linking Czech translators to the wider European professional network. One of its earliest initiatives was the publication Zamlčovaní překladatelé 1948–1989 (“Silenced Translators 1948–1989”), which appeared shortly after the Guild’s founding. The book identified the real translators of 662 literary translations from the period of cultural and political unfreedom, when the best Czech translators depended on the courage and conspiracy of friends in order to publish and to defend their existence. This publication was an act of historical restitution, restoring credit to translators who had been erased or replaced in official records. In 1991 the Guild established the Josef Jungmann Award for the best translation of the previous year, named after the Czech philologist and translator Josef Jungmann. The award is announced annually on 30 September, the feast day of St Jerome, the patron saint of translators, and within its framework the Guild grants further prizes for exceptional literary achievements. The Guild also regularly organizes the Jiří Levý Competition, named after the important Czech translation theorist Jiří Levý, which awards prizes to young and beginning translators in several categories. Winning translations are presented to the public through literary evenings and literary magazines. In an effort to counter commercial pressures and the dilettantism of some publishers, the Guild traditionally convenes a jury to grant the annual anti-award Skřipec (the “Thumbscrew”) for the worst translation of the year; the results are announced at the Svět knihy book fair in Prague. Guild representatives also sit on the jury of the annual State Prize for translation work and on juries deciding the annual literary awards Magnesia Litera, Slovník roku and Zlatá stuha. The Guild organizes thematic conferences on literary translation issues, often with guests from Czech and foreign institutions, and runs literary translation workshops for young translators and other interested parties. It participates every year in exhibitions and accompanying programmes of major book fairs: in the Czech Republic Svět knihy and the Autumn Book Fair in Havlíčkův Brod. Since 2005 the Guild has awarded the non-entitlement Hana Žantovská Creative Scholarship, funded by a donation from Irena Murray Žantovská and Michael Žantovský. Its mission is to support the publication of poetry translations into Czech. In the 2020s the Guild continues to publish news and statements on its website, including award shortlists and positions on state cultural policy. In 2026 it reported on the CEATL annual meeting in Oslo (14–16 May 2026) and issued, together with other translation professional associations, a statement on the Ministry of Culture’s draft state cultural policy, which had been submitted without prior consultation with the professional public.

• 2026

  CEATL annual meeting held in Oslo, Norway, on 14–16 May 2026.

• 2026

  Guild issues statement with other translation associations on the Ministry of Culture’s draft state cultural policy.

• 2005

  Hana Žantovská Creative Scholarship established, funded by Irena Murray Žantovská and Michael Žantovský.

• 1991

  Josef Jungmann Award established for the best translation of the previous year.

• 1990

  Czech Literary Translators’ Guild (Obec překladatelů) founded.

• 1990

  Publication Zamlčovaní překladatelé 1948–1989 issued on the Guild’s initiative shortly after its founding.

• 1990

  Guild becomes a member of CEATL (European Council of Associations of Literary Translators) in the first half of the 1990s.

Non-profit professional association and quality arbiter in Czech literary translation, known for prestigious awards and an anti-award for poor translations.

• Josef Jungmann Award

  Annual award for the best translation of the previous year in prose, poetry, drama or non-fiction in the humanities, announced on 30 September.

• Jiří Levý Competition

  Competition named after Czech translation theorist Jiří Levý, awarding prizes to young and beginning translators in several categories.

• Skřipec anti-award

  Annual anti-award for the worst translation of the year, announced at the Svět knihy book fair in Prague.

• Hana Žantovská Creative Scholarship

  Non-entitlement scholarship since 2005 supporting the publication of poetry translations into Czech.

• Translator database

  Public database of Guild members for those seeking a quality literary translator or editor.

• Literary translation courses

  Courses for beginners and advanced students of literary translation.

• Zamlčovaní překladatelé 1948–1989

  Publication listing the real translators of 662 literary translations from the period of cultural and political unfreedom.

1. 1Obec překladatelů – Czech Literary Translators´Guildobecprekladatelu.cz
2. 2Czech Literary Translators’ Guild – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Obec překladatelů – Wikipedia (Czech)cs.wikipedia.org