Ondřej MACL (*24. 12. 89, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic), writer & performer based in Prague.
His experimental book Miluji svou babičku víc než mladé dívky (“I Love My Grandma More Than Young Women”, 2017) won Jiří Orten Award 2018 organised by the Association of Czech Booksellers and Publishers. The book develops his diploma thesis on the variances of Eros in the history of European literature defended at the Charles University in Prague (MA, comparative literature). His second book K čemu jste na světě (“What You Were Born For”, 2018) includes feminist conceptual poetry. A novel Výprava na ohňostroj (“The Fireworks Expedition”, 2019) is dedicated to European Union and young people. His last book, written under the pseudonym Baban Rejdiš, Legenda o Bocianovi (“Legend of Bocian”, 2021) poetically explores the Czech ex-prime minister Andrej Babiš. In 2021, he was awarded by international Václav Burian Award for Poetry. Occasionally he translates (Roland Barthes, Oscar Wilde).
He graduated as well in authorial acting at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (MA) and in social work and journalism at the Masaryk University in Brno (BA). He spent some time at the European House Bordeaux-Aquitaine (an year), Paris-Sorbonne IV (a half year), Escola Superior de Teatro e Cinema in Lisbon (a half year), University College London (a half year), Visegrad Literary Residency in Budapest (three months) or TAKT Artist Residency Berlin (two months).
Together with Anna Luňáková, they founded the performative platform “Nothing Is A Problem Here” focused on the searching of “new relations instead of new works” (inspired by long tradition of cabarets, rituals, happenings…). They performed in several theatre festivals in France, Portugal or Morocco.
Ondřej’s experience includes also art criticism, poetry slam, photography or work with the mentally-exceptional people.
Since 2020, he is a part of European platforms Versopolis Poetry (where you can read some of his texts in English) and CELA – Connecting Emerging Literary Artists.
CONTACT: ondramacl@gmail.com
Record of performative reading (What You Were Born For): www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO2Y2rBzLjI
Edited record of The Firework Expedition launch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSrP4zCaNjs
Edited record of Magic Socialism ritual: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD6fiQ63LU0&t=
Raising of Lazarus ritual: www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-08kl3OStM
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