Vítězslav Nezval
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Vítězslav Nezval (May 26, 1900, Biskoupky – April 6, 1958, Prague) was one of the most prolific Czech writers best known in the West for his novel Valerie and Her Week of Wonders. Along with Karel Teige, Jindřich Štyrský, and Toyen, Nezval frequently traveled to Paris, engaging with the French surrealists. Forging a friendship with André Breton and Paul Eluard, he was instrumental in founding Czech Surrealist Group in 1934 (the first group of this kind outside France), serving as an editor of the group's journal Surrealismus.
Literary work
As a member of the avant-garde group of artists Devětsil (literally "Nine Forces"), he was a founding figure of the Poetism movement. His output consists of a number of poetry collections, experimental plays and novels, memoirs, essays, and translations. His best works are from the interwar period.