Jana Bodnárová (born 21 June 1950) is a Slovak writer and art historian.

Biography

Jana Bodnárová was born on 21 June 1950 in the village of Jakubovany to a farming family. Her father operated a small store in the village and was an avid reader of every book he ordered in order to sell in his shop. She was educated in Liptovský Mikuláš and studied art history, library science and Latin at the

Comenius University Comenius University Bratislava () is the largest university in Slovakia, with most of its faculties located in Bratislava. It was founded in 1919, shortly after the creation of Czechoslovakia. It is named after Jan Amos Comenius, a 17th-century ...

, graduating in 1976. After graduation she worked as an archivist in

Prešov Prešov () is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is the seat of administrative Prešov Region () and Šariš. With a population of approximately 85,000 for the city, and in total more than 100,000 with the urban area, it is the second-largest city i ...

. Gradually, she became established as an important personality of underground culture in eastern Slovakia. After the

Velvet Revolution The Velvet Revolution () or Gentle Revolution () was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations against the one-party government of the Communist Pa ...

, Bodnárová begun writing full time. Her first notable publication was the 1990 short stories collection ''Aféra Rozumum'' (Brain Affair), which won the Ivan Krasko prize. Building on the successful debut, published 22 books for adults and children, winning several national literary acclaims, including three nominations for the Anasoft litera prize (2009, 2019 and 2020). Her books were translated into 8 languages. According to the philosopher and writer

Etela Farkašová Etela Farkašová (; born 5 October 1943) is a Slovak writer and philosopher. Biography Etela Farkašová was born on 5 October 1943 in Levoča. She studied Mathematics and Physics at the University of Trnava. Following her graduation, she wo ...

, Bodnárová’s prose exhibits certain external features of postmodernism, characterized by fragmentation, the blending of temporal layers, the incorporation of foreign and multilingual subtexts, non-linearity, and kaleidoscopic narration. However, Farkašová notes that Bodnárová’s characters also carry a longing for a hidden, greater whole—seeking harmony, order, and stability—while the boundaries between illusion, fiction, imagination, and "real" life are so blurred that characters often perceive their own (or others’) lives as filmic, and at times find film more real than reality itself.

Personal life

Bodnárová is married to the sculptor Juraj Bartusz. She lives in

Košice Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bodnarova, Jana 1950 births Living people People from Liptovský Mikuláš District Slovak dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Slovak women writers 21st-century Slovak women writers Comenius University alumni