Vratislav Maňák

writer, journalist, and literary historian

Vratislav Maňák (1988) is a Czech writer, journalist, and literary historian. He teaches at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University in Prague. He made his literary debut with the collection of short stories Šaty z igelitu (Plastic Dress, 2011), for which he won the Jiří Orten Award. His novel Rubikova kostka (Rubik’s Cube, 2016) was nominated for the European Union Prize for Literature. In his subsequent books, Smrt staré Maši (The Death of Old Masha, 2022) and Goethe v Mariánských Lázních (Goethe in Marienbad, 2024), he explored themes of intimacy, memory, and the conditions of existence in central Europe. His books are also regularly published in German. In his latest book, S Wittgensteinem v gay sauně (With Wittgenstein in a Gay Sauna, 2026), he combines reportage with a personal perspective and reflections on homosexuality, corporeality, and the queer experience. This autumn Maňák is also curating an exhibition at DOX titled Andros, which explores the theme of the male body in contemporary central European art.