History of the publishing house HOST
The history of the Brno-based publishing house Host is closely connected to the recent history of the identically called literary journal. It can be loosely divided into three periods:
I. Dušan Skála's publishing house Host (1990-1994)
II. Birth of the present publishing house (1995-1998)
III. The publishing house in its present form
Books bearing the brand HOST started to be published in the early 1990s by Dušan Skála, founder of the samizdat journal Host (from 1985) and later owner of a printing office and a publishing house. About twenty books of different orientation were published in this period; the list of the house's foremost publications would include books by Jan Křesadlo, Mikoláš Chadima or Milan Harníček. Also the first four volumes of the Host Poetry series were published. The series has been never interrupted and now includes more than 90 volumes.
When Dušan Skála wound up his publishing activities, the journal's newly established editorial board, led by Miroslav Balaštík and Tomáš Reichel, conceived the plan of publishing poetry collections by their contemporaries. Later, the publishing house started publishing works of fiction, literary history, literary theory and critique.
Presently, the publishing house HOST publishes more than 50 books per year and occupies an important position among Czech publishers. It has a good reputation especially in the area of contemporary Czech fiction and poetry. Besides publishing reputable authors like Ota Filip, Jiří Hájíček, Jan Balabán, Eva Kantůrková, Věroslav Mertl, Josef Nesvadba, Roman Ludva), the series is also focused on the search for new talents. The house has been also more and more focused on publishing high quality world fiction (Ernesto Sabato, Alain Robbe-Grillet, Pauline Réage, Alejo Carpentier, Michel Butor, Per Olov Enquist, Martin Pollack, Bernard Noël, Gilles Rozier, Olga Tokarczuk, etc.) The other base of our activities consists in publishing works of literary theory and critique: the volumes of our Structuralist Library, and the subsequent Theoretic Library, are now considered indispensable for anyone interested in this area of knowledge. Additionally, we also publish essays and works dealing with the area of social studies and history.
Achievements and rewards
Literary prizes awarded to the authors and books published by HOST
Radka Denemarková: Smrt nebudeš se báti aneb Příběh Petra Lébla (You Will not Be Afraid of Death; The Story of Petr Lébl) - Magnesia Litera 2009 for journalism
Miloslav Topinka: Hadí kámen (The Snake Stone) - F. X. Šalda Price 2009
Petr Hruška: Auta vjíždějí do lodí (Cars Are Driving into Ships) - Jan Skácel Price 2009
Ota Filip: Osmý čili nedokončený životopis (The Eighth, Unfinished Biography) - shortlisted for the Josef Škvorecký Price 2008
Milan Děžinský: Přízraky (Chimaeras) - shortlisted for Magnesia Litera 2008 for poetry
Petra Soukupová: K moři (A Trip to the Seaside)
- shortlisted for Magnesia Litera 2008 for prose
- Jiří Orten Price 2008
- shortlisted for Josef Škvorecký Price 2008
Být dlužen za duši; Rozhovor Aleše Palána s Janem a Gabrielem Florianovými (To owe for the mind; Interview of Aleš Palán with Jan and Gabriel Florian) - shortlisted for Magnesia Litera 2008 for journalism
Jan Balabán Jsme tady (We Are Here) - shortlisted for Josef Škvorecký Price 2007
Luděk Navara - Karel Havlíček Borovský Price 2007 for journalism awarded by the Czech Literary Foundation
Radka Denemarková: Peníze od Hitlera (Money from Hitler) - Magnesia Litera 2007 for prose
Petra Dvořáková: Proměněné sny (Transformed Dreams) - Magnesia Litera 2007 for journalism
Petr Král: Svědek stmívání (Witness of the Dusk) - Yearly Prize of the Czech Literary Foundation 2007
Nünning, Trávníček, Holý (eds.): Lexikon teorie literatury a kultury (Lexicon of the Theory of Literature and Culture) - Prize of the Jury for encyclopaedic dictionnary in the Dictionnary of the Year 2007 survey organised by the Union of Translators and Interpreters
Jiří Hájíček: Selský baroko (Rustic Baroque)
- Magnesia Litera 2006 for prose
- 3th place in the Book of the year 2005 Lidové noviny survey
Martin Stöhr Přechodná bydliště (Transitory Residences) - Jan Skácel Price 2005
Jan Balabán: Možná že odcházíme (Maybe We Are Leaving)
-Magnesia Litera 2005 for prose
- Book of the Year 2004 in the Lidové noviny survey
- shortlisted for the State Prize for Literature 2004
Pavel Brycz: Patriarchátu dávno zašlá sláva (Long Lost Glory of Patriarchy) - State Prize for Literature 2004
Martin Langer: Pití octa (Drinking Vinegar) - Jiří Orten Prize 2002
Věroslav Mertl: Hřbitov snů (Graveyard for Dreams) - State Prize for Literature 2001
Věra Rosí: Holý bílý kmen (Bare White Trunk) - Jiří Orten Prize 2000
Bogdan Trojak: Pan Twardowski (Mr. Twardowski) - Jiří Orten Prize 1998
Literary prizes awarded to the publishing house HOST
Petr Holman (ed.) Korespondence Otokara Březiny I, II (Otokar Březina's Correspondence I, II) - Commemorative medal of the Otokar Březina Society 2007
Structuralist Library series - Magnesia Litera 2006 for publishing project
Petr Holman (ed.) Korespondence Otokara Březiny I, II (Otokar Březina's Correspondence I, II) - Magnesia Litera 2005 for publishing project
Special Prize of the 11th Autumn Book Fair in Havlíčkův Brod 2001 for merits in selfless publishing of Czech literature
Miroslav Balaštík - Quail Prize 2001 for journalists up to 33 years of age awarded by the Czech Literary Foundation for editorial and journalist activities