Author: Vladimír Křivánek
University of Hradec Králové
Published in: “Slavyanski dialozi”, XIV, 2017, 20
Abstract: The second part of the study, dedicated to the Czech PEN Club and the role of Karel Čapek as its founder and first chairman, examines the history of the club be- tween the two world wars and the impact of the complex international situation on the activities and the image of the association. The idea of the “Czechoslovakism”, on which the young Czechoslovak state is built, raises the question of the status of both Slovak writers and, in principle, writers of different nationalities living inside the borders of the country. Another problem influencing the activities of the club is related to the rise of fascism, the growing anti-Semitism and its consequences on the fate of Jewish writers and in general, on the humanitarian and democratic values defended by the international writing association.
Key words: PEN Club, Karel Čapek, the idea of “Czechoslovakism”, Congress of the PEN Club in Prague