The award for the best nonfiction book goes to a book about the transformations of Prague's architecture

Prague – The main prize for the best publication in the field of non-fiction literature went to Richard Biegel for the book City in the Storm. It has the subtitle Urbanism and Architecture of the Historical Center of Prague 1830-1970 and discusses the transformations of the capital's architecture during this period. The Miroslav Ivanov Awards, named after the well-known author of non-fiction literature, were presented today in the Václav Havel Library in Prague. They are awarded by the Association of Non-Fiction Writers (KALF). 57 titles from 25 publishing houses were submitted for the 23rd edition of the awards.

The winning book was published last year by Charles University, where Biegel serves as the director of the Institute of Art History at the Faculty of Arts. The substantial publication describes the transformations of Prague from the first romantic interventions that gave the city its embankments and promenades. In dramatic contrast, it follows the period of radical sanitation, which involved the demolition of entire neighborhoods of houses and provoked a similarly radical reaction from the protectors of old Prague.

A separate chapter presents the period of interwar transformations of the city into the metropolis of the new state, as well as the dark protectorate period marked by megalomaniacal urban planning projects, post-war euphoria with its architectural dreams, and the early onset of totalitarianism. The finale of the book covers the years 1958 to 1970, which brought not only the return of modernism but also fundamental discussions about the role that the historical center should actually play in the organism of a modern city.

The Association of Non-Fiction Writers also awarded prizes in other categories. In the category of Czech History, the jury awarded the prize to Dalibor Vácha for the book Above the Clouds, Everyday Life of the 311th Czechoslovak RAF Squadron 1940-1945. In the category of World History, the winner is the Egyptologist Miroslav Bárta for the book Tutankhamun, A Century of Mysteries and Discoveries, which was published last year to mark the centenary of one of the greatest discoveries in world archaeology, the finding of the intact tomb of the ancient Egyptian ruler Tutankhamun.

In the category of Memoir and Biographical Literature, the jury awarded the prize for the memoirs of Czech politician and economist Karel Engliš: Memoirs. Who Serves the Homeland, Expect No Rewards. The Miroslav Ivanov Award for Lifetime Achievement in Non-Fiction Literature was then awarded to journalist and writer Stanislav Motl.

Miroslav Ivanov was one of the most prominent figures in Czech non-fiction literature. In addition to more than thirty books, many of which were published abroad, he authored nearly a thousand newspaper articles, over 170 radio broadcasts, and dozens of television programs. The native of Jaroměř died on December 23, 1999, at the age of 70. Since 1991, KALF has been promoting this specific genre.