Curriculum Vitae

Born 1953 in Olomouc, Czechoslovakia. Has lived and worked in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic

1972

Graduation from Neruda Grammar School in Prague.
Not allowed to enrol at the Film Academy ( FAMU ) because of her political background.

Her father, the writer Jan Prochazka, was one of the opposition leaders during
The Prague Spring (1968).

1975

Her first play Venus` Hill was staged at the Realistic Theatre in Prague.
The play was banned by the communist regime.

1976

Her first children’s book – Who´s Lost Their Marbles? – was about to be published but this was postponed indefinitely for political reasons.

1976-83

Prochazkova wrote many other plays but these were allowed to be staged only in small theatres outside of Prague.

1983

The writer immigrated to Austria.

1984

Her play Widow Of a Poet was staged in Austria and Germany.
Her children’s book The Summer Wears Donkey`s Ears (published by Beltz und Gelberg) was on the German “Best Books of the Year” list.

1986

Prochazkova and her husband founded The Sly Cat, a theatre for children, in Constance.

1988

The book Season Of Secret Wishes was published. Prochazkova cooperated with a young people’s theatre – On The Dock – in Bremen, Germany.

1989

Prochazkova’s book Season Of Secret Wishes won the Deutscher Jugendliteratur Preis for the best children’s book. Season Of Secret Wishes was translated into a number of languages and also published in the USA by Lothrop, Lee&Shepard Books, New York.

1984 – present

The writer has cooperated with many German publishers.
After the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia started working for the Czech TV in Prague.

1995

Iva Prochazkova returned permanently to the Czech Republic and continued her literary activities.

1998

Prochazkova was nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award

1998 – 2001

She worked as a producer for the Czech TV.

2001

Prochazková wrote a script for her first full-length film Kidnapped Home, adapted from her novel. The premiere was in the winter of 2002.

2005

Prochazkova was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award