Tag Archives: Book

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Michal Šamko

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Michal Šamko

The Romano writer Michal Šamko did not have an easy childhood. His parents and siblings came from Svidník in Northeastern Slovakia, but he was born in Jičín, Czech Republic. “Gypsy filth,” they shouted at him in elementary school, where he was the only Rom among 23 children in their class. The biggest punishment for his classmates was to be made to sit next to him. Michal Šamko was determined to achieve something in life, and in the end he succeeded.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia: Musician’s Book

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Czechia: Musician’s Book

What is it like to lose your sight as a child? What if you have a disobedient guide dog? What does a blind musician have to deal with? And what did police bullying of Roma look like in the nineties? The most famous Czech Roma accordionist Mário Bihári tells about this in his new book.

The book is called “Music in Colour”.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

A Book by Roma about Roma

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A Book by Roma about Roma

Patrik Banga – a distinguished journalist and blogger – nevertheless published his first book, The Real Way Out. Now Banga has another book to his credit. It inextricably combines journalism, Roma and music – because Banga is also a skilled musician, just like his “Gipsy” brothers Radek and Gyulla – both in the author and in his counterpart. It is a book interview, namely with a person who has long deserved it: the former accordionist of Zuzana Navarová and Koa Mário Bihari, musician, lyricist and frontman of the band Bachtale Apsa.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia and Minorities

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Czechia and Minorities

Martin Kanaloš has been writing since childhood, but only recently introduced himself with his debut novel. The book Me, Tran and Everything Else tells the story of two teenagers, half Roma and half Vietnamese, from a housing estate.

“They experience various troubles on the outskirts of the city, in a housing estate,” added Kanaloš. They feel that life is slipping through their fingers, unlike their classmates from a small-town high school, until they show up at a fancy party as uninvited guests. They also have a diverse ethnic background in common: Dezi is half Romani and Tran is half Vietnamese. Kanaloš talks about what it’s like not to fit in in the Czech Republic, mixing social realism with black humour. “I have Romani, Hungarian, Ukrainian ancestors. And because I’ve been focusing on Romani issues for the past few years, I chose the Romani theme for this book as well,” the writer explained. The character of Tran is said to be loosely inspired by his friend.

Bosnia News Eastern Europe

New Book

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New Book

A new book on the history of Roma in Bosnia and Herzegovina was recently published. It is a joint publication of the Sarajevo University institute for history and the Zagreb Ivo Pilar Institute. It is an important cross disciplinary work featuring many new research and facts about Roma history in the region.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: Book

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Slovenia: Book

In the Miran Jarca Library in Novo Mesto, Matic Vidic recently presented his book Guide to Meaning: Journeys of a Proven Logotherapist.

Matic chose to study theology and philosophy because he was already struggling with difficult life trials as a teenager. With the death of his mother and his father’s alcoholism, he began to wonder at an early age what the meaning of life was. Today, he is a permanent deacon of the Novo Mesto diocese, does pioneering work in Roma pastoral care and the integration of Roma into society, is an attentive husband to his wife Petra and a father to four-year-old Izak. Some of his stories in the book are powerful, others sad, but with each one he wanted to light the light for the reader that gave meaning to his life.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Romania

Book

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Book

Soldiers. A Story from Ferentari  was only published in Czech this year. It tells the autobiographical story of a famous anthropologist Adrian, who is writing a dissertation on Romani music and moves into the Bucharest ghetto of Ferentari. There, former Romani prisoner Alberto becomes his guide, and the mismatched pair eventually becomes a couple facing the surprising twists and turns of an unexpected intimate relationship.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Roma

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Slovenia and Roma

For some reason, the Slovenian press published two articles about the international Roma day which happened a while back. In one, a teacher published a book with poems in Romanes and Slovene, unveiled during April 8th celebrations. In the other, Roma children who attend a “regular” kindergarten (to the surprise of the journalist perform for April 8th – with of course lots of stereotypes.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia: Education, Art, and Roma

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Czechia: Education, Art, and Roma

What is the power of words, culture and art in creating a feeling that one belongs somewhere and can be proud of oneself? This is a question that concerns not only minorities in Czech schools. The way to do this can be social support from the environment and art. For Roma students, it is offered, for example, by the Ara Art organization, which is dedicated to activist culture, or the Kher publishing house, which publishes children’s books on Roma themes. How to ensure that children’s talent and potential do not go to waste?

Roma children make up roughly three percent of all students in Czech schools. However, they are not enrolled evenly. According to PAQ Research data, in 2023 there were approximately 130 segregated schools where Roma made up at least a third of the students.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: Roma Music

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Slovenia: Roma Music

At the Murska Sobota Regional and Study Library, Jožek Horvat – Muc presented the book Roma Musicians in Prekmurje. The author, who is engaged in researching Roma history and culture, sheds light on the history of Roma musicians in this part of Slovenia.

Finland News Western Europe

Black Butterfly

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Black Butterfly

Kiba Lumberg’s novel entitled Black Butterfly (Musta perhonen)., describes the oppression of women in the patriarchal community of Finnish Roma.

“My curse and blessing is that I was born a Roma woman,” begins the story of Memesa Grönlund, the main character of the novel. It tells the story of a girl growing up in the Kale Roma community in the city of Lappeenranta in eastern Finland. Memesa describes life in their patriarchal community, the relationships between her and the rest of her family, but also the bullying she encounters at home and at school.

News Eastern Europe Poland Ukraine

Poland and Roma Refugees

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Poland and Roma Refugees

25,000 Roma fled from Ukraine to Poland according to this article, which also states that “Most families were completely illiterate”… Both statements are definitively wrong. There are more Roma refugees, and many are well integrated.

Now four journalists and reporters have published a book describing their plight. “The War of Our Times” by Maria Kądzielska-Koper, Arleta Bojke, Michał Owerczuk and Tomasz Piechal is a collection of ten stories.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Roma Writer

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Roma Writer

An article about the Roma writer Michal Šamko. His parents and siblings came from Svidník, but he was born in Jičín, Czech Republic, where he did not have an easy childhood. “Gypsy filth,” they shouted at him in elementary school, where there were 23 children in their class, but he was the only Roma. The biggest punishment for his classmates was not the remarks, but being seated next to him. Michal Šamko was determined to achieve something in life and in the end he succeeded.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Charter 77

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Charter 77

The human rights movement Charter 77 published a significant document, “The Status of Gypsies and Roma in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic”, which is presented by Charter 77 signatory, former chairwoman of the Helsinki Committee and former public defender of human rights Anna Šabatová.

Austria Bosnia News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

Muharem Serbezovski

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Muharem Serbezovski

in Skopje, Muharem is deeply attached to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and especially Sarajevo, which he often calls his “soulmate”.

His name is well-known in the former Yugoslavia, where he gained the status of one of the most famous singers, whose music, inspired by Roma and oriental styles, left an indelible mark on the art scene. He released his first album at the age of only 12. He is also an author and he published a translation of the Bible in Romanes.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgarian Roma Songs

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Bulgarian Roma Songs

A published Bulgarian textbook contains 99 Roma songs, collected from the territory of present-day Bulgaria between 1950 and 1975. Songs about love, family songs, songs about heroes have been preserved. The man who preserved this for generations is Mustafa Aliyev, better known by his Bulgarian name Manush Romanov. Mustafa Aliyev dedicated his life to the development of the culture of his community. He belonged to the group of Sofia “Jerli”

He participated in the anti-fascist resistance. He was the editor-in-chief of the newspapers “Romano Esi” (Romanian) and “Nevo Drom” (New Road). He was the director of the “Roma” theatre, which was closed by the communists.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia: Paramisja

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Czechia: Paramisja

The Pig Bride and the Talking Horse is a book of Romani fairy tales: far from the first to be published in Czechia, but in many ways the best so far, because the most thorough. It is intended primarily for adults, both researchers and ordinary readers – they will find amusement and many surprises in it.  It is now a well-known fact that traditional Romani folklore is not for young ladies.

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