Emil Benčík


Emil Benčík is a Slovak writer, journalist and translator. He established the feature radio documentary in Slovakia and created the first family radio series in the country called Čo nového, Bielikovci, which during its 17 years run established itself as one of the most popular programs in Slovakia's history with almost 1 in 2 Slovaks tuning in regularly.
In the 1950s he was a member of the notable journalistic generation centered on the newspaper Smena. From 1971 until 1990 he was the Chief editor of the Main desk of literary and drama broadcasting of the Czechoslovak radio in Bratislava.
For his journalistic and literary work, Emil Benčík has received numerous awards including the international Prize of Egon Erwin Kisch for his book Králi Ducha. He is the first and only author to receive the Prize of Vojtech Zamarovský for radio broadcasting.

Biography

Benčík was born on 20 January 1933 in Zlatno near Zlaté Moravce. He studied Slovak language and Russian language at Pedagogical faculty of the Comenius University in Bratislava. Later he worked as a teacher at elementary school in Lokca and at pedagogic gymnasium in Krupina. A long-time editor of the Slovak Radio in Bratislava, he has written many literary, biographical, dramatic and radio documentaries, series and cycles.

Work

Literary work

  • 1971 – Domov a svet, spolu s K. Kowaliszyn.
  • 2003 – Prvý muž česko-slovenskej jari Alexander Dubček
  • 2007 – Čo neodvial vietor
  • 2008 – Rebrík do neba
  • 2010 – Králi ducha
  • 2011 – Bohatá žatva Andreja Chudobu
  • 2014 - Zlatno v náručí hôr

Literary translations

  • 1960 – Dawid Rubinowicz: Dávidkov denník
  • 1962 – Włodzimierz Jaroszyński: Tajný front
  • 1972 – Alojzy Twardecki: Škola janičiarov

Radio cycles

  • 1997–2004 – Ľudia, fakty, udalosti
  • 2003–2008 – Sólo pre...
  • 2008–2011 – Takí sú rozhlasáci

Radio features

  • 1972 – Tiché ruky, Hniezdo na dlani, Nechajme stromy rásť, Na dne leta
  • 1975 – Dráma lásky a nelásky
  • 1979 – Zasadiť strom
  • 1978 – Zatmenie Zeme
  • 1989 – Vaša výsosť peniaze
  • 1990 – Slovenský chlebík
  • 1990 – Sako Róm gilavel – Každý Róm si spieva
  • 1991 – Zvon Andrej
  • 1991 – Život a smrť s Dávidovou hviezdou
  • 1993 – Akí sme, takí sme
  • 1993 – Prvý muž Pražskej jari
  • 1994 – Dies veritatis – Deň pravdy
  • 1994 – Hviezdne nebo nad Jeruzalemom
  • 1995 – Kniha kníh prehovorí k všetkým
  • 1995 – Posledný deň vojny, prvý deň mieru
  • 1996 – Teheránska, Jaltská a Postupimská konferencia
  • 1996 – Norimberský proces
  • 1996 – Po dobrom živote dobrá smrť
  • 1997 – Podla vzoru srdce
  • 1997 – Operácia Overlord
  • 1997 – Eroica Varsoviensis
  • 1998 – Čierne dni v éteri
  • 1999 – Dlhá noc v Kremli
  • 2000 – Čo nám dalo a čo nám vzalo 20. storočie
  • 2002 – Hlavou proti múru
  • 2003 – Tanec nad priepasťou
  • 2003 – Pred bránou pekla
  • 2004 – Plamienky nádeje
  • 2005 – Bola raz jedna Nežná
  • 2006 – Neslávny odchod mocných

Radio drama translations

  • Henryk Bardijevski: Koperník
  • Józef Gruda: Poľská suita, Albert, Kapela
  • Andrzej Mularczyk: Z hlbín vôd, Balkón na Hlavnej ulici, Prespať zimu, Kuchynský vchod
  • Marian Grzesczak: Poľská symfónia

Awards

Emil Benčík is also the holder of numerous other awards and prizes.

Monographies and studies

Life and work of Emil Benčik is the subject of the following monographies, studies and scientific papers:
  • Encyclopedia of Slovakia, Volume I. Encyclopedic office of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava : Osveta, 1977. Page 177.
  • Encyclopedia of Slovak dramatic arts, Volume I. Veda – publishing house of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, 1989. Page 103.
  • Matovcik, A. et al.: Dictionary of Slovak writers of the 20th century. Publishing house SSS and SNK, Bratislava – Martin, 2001. Page 33.
  • Dictionary of the Club of Czech and Slovak writers of non-fiction literature. Prague, 2003. Page 268.
  • Kačala, J.: Language in Emil Benčík's book about three Slovak kings of spirit, Kultúra slova, volume 46, Bratislava, 2012.
  • Herceg, M.: Emil Benčík – Ambidextrous journalistic personality. Dissertation, School of Journalism at the Faculty of Philosophy, Commenius University, Bratislava, 2006.
  • Nemečková, L.: Radio document in the Slovak Radio - Emil Benčík, key personality of the founding generation, dissertation, Faculty of Mass Media at the Paneuropean University, evidence number FM-24684-7985, Bratislava, 2014.
  • Chapters of history of the radio. Slovak Radio, Bratislava, 2006.
  • What was on air. Slovak Radio, Bratislava, 2003.