Milan Kundera
Publication Date: October 7

For the English reading fans of the iconic writer Milan Kundera, who thought once he passed, his voice was silent forever, there is good news. 89 WORDS Followed by PRAUGE: A Disappearing Poem, is a thought-provoking collection that brings together two of Kundera’s pieces from the 1980s. Initially written for the now-defunct French magazine Le Débat, they have never been available in English.
In “89 WORDS,” Kundera humorously critiques the shortcomings of translations, particularly the flawed renderings of his own work, of which Kundera was acutely aware. For him, words were not mere tools, but subjects of meticulous scrutiny. The writer crafted a personal lexicon – “89 WORDS.” Through this clever and reflective essay, which showcases the writer’s signature sardonic wit, Kundera delves into the trials and tribulations of being a writer in translation, exposing the alienation of both life and art when displaced into another language.
In the second essay, “PRAUGE: A Disappearing Poem,” Kundera expresses both a yearning and a sorrow for his increasingly distant homeland and offers an intimate exploration of Czech culture. He portrays the deep connection to a heritage that, while rooted in a “small nation,” carries a universal significance. In this piece, as in A Kidnapped West, he condemns both Soviet oppression, which stifled and persecuted Czech culture, and Western Europe, which failed to recognize or understand it.
Introduced by esteemed French historian Pierre Nora and translated by award-winning Matt Reeck, these texts revive the intellectual vigor of Kundera’s voice. Subtle, sharp, and tinged with irony, 89 WORDS Followed by PRAUGE: A Disappearing Poem serves as both a tribute to a literary icon and a poignant reminder of how relevant Kundera’s insights remain today.