"So that there is a shelf with Roma literature in every library." Since 2017, we have been continuously raising awareness about Roma literature and supporting Roma women and men writers in their creative work. Roma literature remains overlooked not only within Roma communities but also in Czech society as a whole. Our goal is to change this – we organize literary readings, engage in media activities, and, most importantly, we actively work with authors from the Paramisara writers’ club.
How did it all start?
· In 2017, we launched the Gavoro/Village project, thanks to which we began to spread awareness of Roma literature among both Roma people and the majority society
· In 2019, we founded the Paramisara/Storytellers writers’ club, whose members include writers from all over the country
· In 2021, we published E Phuv, a poetry collection by talented Roma poet Martin Oláh.
· In 2021, we also published a monograph on Romani literature by Karolína Ryvolová, a Romani writer, called With a Sparrow’s Feather on the Cuff: The Story of Roma Literature.
About the Writers’ Club
The founding of a Roma "PEN Club" in 2019 was a natural step in our efforts to revive the Roma language and support original Roma literary creation. In the Czech Republic, there are many amateur Roma writers whose talent needs systematic support and development so that they can become published authors one day.
The name of the club, Paramisara, comes from the tradition of Roma storytellers who passed down legends, tales, and wisdom from generation to generation. Current club members include Ilona Ferková, Eva Danišová, Květoslava Podhradská, Stáňa Miková, and Marie Siváková, among others. Today, the club has about 25 authors of all generations who regularly attend our creative writing workshops and public events.
“Books written in Romani language preserve our language for future generations. I am very happy to be able to write in my mother tongue and proud to read at talks and watch people listening intently. Even if some non-Roma people don’t really understand it. But it gives me the feeling that our language will never disappear," says Ilona Ferková.
Family Above All
On International Romani Language Day, November 5, 2024, we will launch the first short story collection by 15 writers from the Paramisara Club. The book is titled Fameľija nadevše (Family Above All), and all the stories revolve around the theme of family. This is our most significant literary project, offering unpublished authors the opportunity to share their work with the public. The collection’s editors are Eva Danišová and Lenka Jandáková.
The Roma Writers’ Club is currently supported by: Bader Philanthropies, the City of Prague, the Ministry of Culture, and the State Cultural Fund of the Czech Republic.
