Vincent Šikula

Vincent Šikula (born October 19, 1936 in Dubová near Modra ; † June 16, 2001 in Modra) was a Slovak poet, writer, children's and young adult book author , publicist, dramaturge and musician.

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Vincent Šikula was born into a family of forest workers. His father was also a farmer. Almost all of his 11 siblings were musically or literarily gifted. After attending school in Dubová and high school in Nitra , he studied at the Pedagogical Music School in Bratislava from 1956 to 1959 , then French horn at the State Conservatory. 1961–1964 he was a teacher in Modra. This traditional town is the focus of his fragmentary memoirs , to which the poet Jozef Mihalkovič inspired him . 1967–1968 he was editor of the magazine "Romboid", 1969–1973 dramaturge for Slovak filmmaking. From 1973 he was an editor in the publishing house "Slovenský spisovateľ". 1994–1999 he was chairman of the Slovak Writers' Union. In 1979 he received the title of "Honored Artist".

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Home, childhood and youth were his greatest sources of inspiration. He began his writing activity with a collection of sketches and stories from the life of a soldier, which appeared in 1964. His works impress with their lively and narrative directness, they are based on experiences, experiences, impressions and feelings of a young person. It does not describe self-contained events; he only loosely connects situations, motives and ideas. In doing so, he expressively designs apparently meaningless things and reveals lasting values ​​of human life, such as love, home, friendship and work. Influence on his work z. B. František Švantner, Margita Figuli, Dobroslav Chrobák and older authors, e.g. B. Martin Kukučín or Jozef Gregor-Tajovský.

The essays in Šikula's book “Nokturná” (1983) already confirmed that he looks at things and, above all, at people with particular warmth and amiability.

Šikula was one of those writers who are closely connected to their homeland. He wrote about the land of wine, forests, and peculiar, happy and sincere people. Since childhood he has also devoted himself intensively to music, which has always been part of his artistic work. For years he played in a brass band in Ivanka pri Dunaji. He was significantly involved in the development of children's and youth literature. The novel trilogy consists of the novels “Majstri” (Master), “Muškát” (Geraniums) and “Vilma”. The author himself described his novels as books about home. Šikula is dedicated to the theme of home in a delimited historical period. The novel “Majstri” takes its theme from the time of the Second World War and ends with the beginning of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP). “Muškát” focuses on the uprising, “Vilma” describes the first months and years after the liberation. The heroes of the trilogy are the master carpenter Guldán, his 3 sons and daughter-in-law Vilma. The fates of numerous other people give an idea of ​​the life of the people in western Slovakia in the 1940s. With the main characters he wants to prove that unknown and insignificant people like the Guldans can also be involved in the course of history. Šikula is assigned to the authors of the 56 generation, but with his inimitable natural literary talent he surpasses all artificially formed categories, theoretical postulates or other groupings. There are literary competitions for the Vincent Šikula Prize. Šikula's wife Anna Blahová compiled the autobiographical texts “Tam, kde sa cesta skrúca” and “Požehnaná taktovka” from the estate. They include sketches, memories, portraits of friends, notes on writing, necrologists, anniversary articles, and diary entries.

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Prose for adults

• 1964 Na koncertoch sa netlieska, sketches and stories from the life of a soldier
• 1964 Možno si postavím bungalov, short stories
• 1966 S Rozarkou, novella about a mentally handicapped girl
• 1966 Nebýva na každom vŕšku hostinec (There is not an inn on every hill), novella
• 1968 Povetrie, sketches and stories
• 1976, 1977, 1979 novel trilogy "Majstri", "Muškát", "Vilma"
• 1978 Vlha (Pentecostal Bird), novella
• 1980 Liesky (hazel bushes), autobiographical work
• 1981 Vojak (The Soldier), novella
• 1983 Matej, a novel about Matej Hrebenda
• 1983 Nokturná (considerations, confessions, conversations, literary portraits)
• 1987 Heroické etudy pre koňa (Heroic Etudes for a Horse), short stories and short stories
• 1990 Pastierska kapsička (Shepherd's purse), stories and novellas
• 1991 ornament, novel
• 1994 Pôstny menuet, short stories and short stories
• 1995 Veterná družica (Bride of the Wind), continuation of the novel "Ornament"
• 2000 Anjel Gabriela (Angel Gabriela)
• 2001 Udri pastiera (Beat the Shepherd), from the estate, unfinished
• 2002 Tam, kde sa cesta skrúca (Where the path winds)
• 2003 Požehnaná taktovka (Blessed Baton)

Poetry for adults

• 1983 Z domu na kopci, collection of poems
• 1993 Zo zanedbanej záhrady, collection of poems
• 1998 Bubeník september, poetry collection
• 2003 Za odchodom orgovánu, poems from the estate

Prose for children

• 1965 Pán horár má za klobúkom mydleničku (Mr. Förster has a shaving brush on his hat)
• 1966 Prázdniny so strýcom Rafaelom (Holidays with Uncle Rafael)
• 1978 Ďuro, pozdrav Ďura (Ďuro, greetings Ďuro)
• 1981 Vajíčko sliepky liliputánky (The Lilliputian Hen's Egg)
• 1984 O múdrom kohútikovi (From the wise rooster)
• 1996 Augustín a zvon (Augustine and the Bell), fairy tales and stories
• 1997 Medardove rozprávky (Medard's Tales)
• 2000 Vladko a pes (Vladko and the dog)
• 2001 Vincúrko (Little Vincent)

Filmed works

• 1980 Otec ma zderie tak či tak, film based on “Holidays with Uncle Rafael”, screenplay by Igor Rusnák
• Ľalie poľné, director Elo Havetta, probably based on "With Rozarka"

Web links

• Vincent Šikula in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Entry about Vincent Šikula on Literárne informačné centrum ( German )