The statuette is a miniature version of the Franz Kafka monument in Prague - and a cause for celebration for the Czech DirectGroup subsidiary Euromedia. Coinciding with the publication of his latest novel through the club and publishing house, the Euromedia author Arnošt Lustig has just won the Franz Kafka Prize. "A man needs recognition in his life," said the 82-year-old author at the award ceremony in Prague. "I am extremely happy and deeply grateful for this honor."

Happy and grateful are states of mind largely unknown to the characters in Lustig’s books. They largely focus on the horrors of the Holocaust, which he personally experienced in his youth. His best-known works include the novels "Démanty noci" (Diamonds of the Night) and "Krásné zelené oci" (Lovely Green Eyes), for which Lustig was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 2003. "Zlodej kufru" (The Suitcase Thief) was recently published by Euromedia, the story of a 14-year-old boy who falls in love for the first time while struggling through life as a street cleaner.

Since 2001, the Franz Kafka Prize, considered the Czech Republic’s most important literary award, has been awarded by a prestigious jury to writers whose work appeals to readers of all nationalities. Previous winners include Philip Roth, Elfriede Jelinek and Haruki Murakami.

Arnost Lustig