Adéla Knapová

writer and journalist

Adéla Knapová is a writer and journalist. She first caught readers’ attention with her novella The Impossibility of Zero (Nemožnost nuly, 2016), which was followed by ABC Book (Slabikář, 2017), Vanguard (Předvoj, 2019), and the auto-fiction novel Cowardly Notes from the War in Ukraine (Zbabělé zápisky z Ukrajinské války, 2023). In 2024 she published a collection of war stories titled Bloody Compote (Krvavý kompot), which she wrote during her time in Kharkiv. The book paints an authentic portrait of life in the city, which lies just thirty kilometres from the border with Russia and is subject to constant drone and missile attacks. Without pathos or politicisation, it captures the strength and fragility of the people who remain in the city, and it does not shy away from even the most sensitive issues, such as forced conscription and efforts to hide from the commission. Knapová is personally involved in helping war-torn Ukraine and regularly travels to the front lines. She is also an animal rights activist and founder of the foundation One Heart.  She lives in Prague, Greece, and Kharkiv.