Two recommendations:

Michal Hvorecký, Dissident (Tropics, 2026)

Slovakian author Michal Hvorecký has published a book entitled Dissident (Tropen,2026), which he deliberately wrote in German and is aimed specifically at a German audience. The book is meant as a warning. A warning against the collapse of democracy. Hvorecký uses the example of current Slovakian politics to describe the path to autocracy. He analyzes the development, describes in concrete terms how the ultra-right style of government thrives on confrontation, how it divides society and expands the boundaries of what can be said. Fears are stirred up, truths are distorted, scientific results are doubted. The intended consequence: trust in all political communication is lost. The translator, author and programmer Hvorecký uses the example of Slovakian Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičova to show how the irrational is gaining ground in the 21st century. He shows how the irrational is gaining ground in the 21st century, how enlightenment and emancipation seem to be fading and what role virtual reality plays in this: “Positions that were previously only represented on the fringes of the democratic spectrum have also moved (through her) into the center of society…Active for years as a disinformation activist on social media, she reaches tens of thousands of followers with her hate messages. Her content was multiplied exponentially via social media – like that of numerous other similar provocateurs… slander spreads rapidly and the truth far too slowly”

But Hvorecký also shows the other side: the courage of individuals, the strength of civil society. Again and again, he describes the commitment of schoolchildren and students who were the first to take to the streets, expressing their opinions on the sidewalks with simple blackboard chalk. The chalk revolution quickly spread throughout the country. This method, which is not punishable by law, is now also used in the Czech Republic.

Dora Kaprálová, The Maribor Hypnosis (Mikrotext, 2026)

Czech author Dora Kaprálová has been awarded the Czech Republic’s most important literary prize Litera Magnesia twice for her magical portrait of a small European town – complete with dictator and hypnotist – from the perspective of a housefly , Maribor Hypnosis . In April 2026, Kaprálová received the prize for Book of the Year and at the same time in the Best Prose category. The book has been nominated for the European Prize for Literature 2026. The decision will be made on 18.5.2026. We are keeping our fingers crossed

The book will be published in German in September.