Ivan Klíma

Ivan Klíma (born September 14, 1931, Prague – died October 4, 2025) was a renowned Czech novelist, playwright, and critic, considered one of the most important literary voices of Central Europe in the 20th century. As a child, he was imprisoned in the Terezín concentration camp, a traumatic experience that deeply shaped his writing. Initially a member of the Communist Party, Klíma became a vocal dissident after the suppression of the Prague Spring in 1968, and his works were banned under Soviet rule, circulated only through underground channels. His major works include Judge on Trial, Love and Garbage, Waiting for the Dark, Waiting for the Light, No Saints or Angels, and My Crazy Century. With a humanistic and morally reflective voice, Klíma portrayed life under dictatorship and the enduring power of hope.