Bob Hýsek


Bob Hýsek, is a Czech translator from English, an editor, publisher, publicist, and organiser and populariser of slam poetry. He teaches at the Department of English and American Studies, Palacký University Olomouc Faculty of Arts.

Life, Work Experience

He grew up in Orlová, and studied English and Czech at the Palacký University Olomouc Faculty of Arts. He currently teaches slam poetry and literary translation from English to Czech at his alma mater. Previously, he also taught poetry translation, American Studies, and science fiction there.
He has translated poetry and prose from English into Czech, notably Philip K. Dick, Jack Kerouac, Nick Cave, Allen Ginsberg, and especially Charles Bukowski. He is also the author of the study Karel Bukowski - stary chachar ostravski, in which he reveals the "true" identity of the American writer as the Ostrava-born emigrant Karel Bukowski.
In 2012, he started as the proofreader of the bi-monthly Legalizace magazine, and from 2017 to 2022 he was its managing editor. He is the co-founder and editor of the popular-professional magazine Konopí '' and editor-in-chief of its English version, Cannabis Therapy Magazine. He writes for cannabis periodicals under the pseudonym Bohumil Sazinka.

Translations

At the start of his translation career, he worked for the publishing house Pragma ; since 2003 he has been working in cooperation with the Prague publishing house Argo, becoming one of its house translators. He has been systematically translating the poetry and prose of Charles Bukowski for many years. He has contributed significantly to Czech editions of the American science fiction author Philip K. Dick; in addition to translations, editing PKD's short story collections. He has translated two collections of stories by Ted Chiang, and his translation of Nicholson Baker's erotic novel House of Holes attracted considerable attention. He works with several Czech publishers as a freelance translator and editor.
In 2001, he placed second in the national Jiří Levý competition for young translators for his translation of a section of John Fante's Ask the Dust, which he later translated in its entirety.
With Olomouc American Studies scholars Matthew Sweney and Pavel Gončarov, and German Studies scholar Ingeborg Fialová, he founded the non-profit Ateliér uměleckého překladu in 2018. He remains its director.

Cultural Activities

In tandem with Matthew Sweney, he organised the international Ostrovy bez hranic / Islands Without Borders festival in Olomouc from 2006 to 2019. In 2006, in order to attain that goal, they founded the non-profit Detour Productions, a nod to the classic film noir Detour by Olomouc native Edgar G. Ulmer. Since 2015, the non-profit has been specialising in slam poetry events, under new management.

Slam Poetry

Hýsek is one of the leading Czech organisers, moderators, and popularisers of slam poetry. Since 2006, he has been organising the regional Olomouc slam poetry rounds, and since 2015 with Tomáš Kůs, the Czech Slam Poetry championship. He is the originator and organiser of slam championships in special formats: since 2014 he has been running the Duoslam national slam doubles championship, and since 2016 the Femislam female slam championship. He also popularises and organises translators' slams. He is the editor of the slam poetry text collection Deset deka slamu and is the author of the electronic publication Slam poetry. Manuál k výuce performativní soutěžní poezie . He teaches Slam Poetry as an optional subject at Palacký University Olomouc and mentors young slammers at the Olomouc . He also cooperates with Czech slammers such as Ondřej Hrabal, Anatol Svahilec, and Dr. Filipitch in organising slam exhibitions.

Works (selection)

Karel Bukowski – Notes on a Dirty Old Ostrava Man..

Anthologies

Deset deka slamu . Selected and with an introduction by Robert Hýsek. Olomouc: UP Press, 2015. Bludné kořeny / Wayward Roots. Selected and translated by Robert Hýsek, Matthew Sweney, et al.. Olomouc: UP Press, 2014. Prchavé domovy: Mezi vyhnanstvím a vnitřním exilem. / Fleeting Homes: Between Banishment and Inner Exile. Selected and translated by Robert Hýsek & Matthew Sweney. Olomouc: UP Press, 2010. Festivalový sborník / Festival Anthology: Ostrovy bez hranic/Islands Without Borders 2008. Selected and translated by Bob Hýsek and Matthew Sweney. Olomouc: Detour Productions, 2008.Festivalový sborník / Festival Anthology: Slova bez hranic/Words Without Borders 2007. Selected and translated by Bob Hýsek and Matthew Sweney. Olomouc: Detour Productions, 2007.

Translations – Books

  • Bukowski, Charles. O pití . Prague: Argo, 2022.
  • Ginsberg, Allen. Kadiš a jiné básně . Prague: Argo, 2020.
  • Chiang, Ted. Výdech . Brno: Host, 2020.
  • Chiang, Ted. "Když se vám líbí, co vidíte: Dokument." In Příběhy vašeho života . Brno: Host, 2020.
  • Kerouac, Jack. Dobrá bloncka . Prague: Argo, 2019.
  • Cave, Nick. Píseň z pytlíku na zvratky . Prague: Argo, 2017.
  • Bukowski, Charles. Nikomu nezvoní hrana . Prague: Argo, 2017.
  • Bukowski, Charles. O kočkách . Prague: Argo, 2017.
  • Bukowski, Charles. Jelito . Prague: Argo, 2016.
  • Dick, Philip K. Minority Report: Menšinová zpráva I.–II. Prague: Argo, 2015.
  • Bukowski, Charles. Na poště . Prague: Argo, 2014.
  • Bukowski, Charles. Absence hrdiny . Prague: Argo, 2014.
  • Bukowski, Charles. Další zápisky starého prasáka . Prague: Argo, 2012.
  • Baker, Nicholson. Libidárium . Prague: Argo, 2013.
  • Cunetomo, Yamamoto. Hagakure – Cesta samuraje . Bratislava: CAD Press, 2013.
  • Bukowski, Charles. Odbarvená píča . Prague: Argo, 2012.
  • Bukowski, Charles. Příliš blízko jatek . Prague: Argo, 2012.
  • Kerouac, Jack. Sám na vrcholu hory . Prague: Argo 2011.
  • Niffenegger, Audrey. Její děsivá souměrnost . Prague: Argo 2011.
  • Bukowski, Charles. Tvrdej chleba . Prague: Argo, 2011.
  • Dick, Philip K. Podivný ráj a jiné povídky . Prague: Argo, 2010.
  • Fante, John. Zeptej se prachu / Ask the Dust. Prague: Argo, 2010.
  • Dick, Philip K. Dr. Krvemsta aneb Jak se nám vedlo po bombě . Prague: Argo, 2009.
  • Bukowski, Charles. Pobryndané spisy . Prague: Argo, 2009.
  • Stephen, Ian. Napospas vlnám / Adrift. Olomouc: Periplum 2007.
  • Bukowski, Charles. Nejkrásnější ženská ve městě . Prague: Argo, 2007.
  • Bukowski, Charles. Příběhy obyčejného šílenství . Prague: Argo, 2006.
  • Dick, Philip K. Planeta, která neexistovala I.–II . Prague: Argo, 2006.
  • Bukowski, Charles. Zápisky starého prasáka . Prague: Argo, 2005.
  • Dick, Philip K. Když mrtví mládnou . Prague: Argo, 2005.
  • Dick, Philip K. Král úletů . Prague: Argo, 2004.
  • Bukowski, Charles. Kam zmizela ta roztomilá, rozesmátá holka v květovaných šatech . Prague: Pragma, 2003.
  • Sounes, Howard. Bláznivý život Charlese Bukowského . Prague: Pragma, 1999.
  • Cleary, Thomas. Japonské umění války . Prague: Pragma, 1998.
  • Osho. Hořčičné semínko . Prague: Pragma, 1996.