Šimon Leitgeb wins Jiří Orten literary prize for young authors

The Jiří Orten Prize for authors under the age of 30 has been awarded to Šimon Leitgeb for his collection of poems entitled Betonová pláž (Concrete Beach) released in 2020.

The jury praised Leitgeb for his direct and non-sentimental vision, allowing the author to create the credible world of a young boy on the margins of society.

The award, named after Czech poet Jiří Orten, comes with 50,000 crowns in prize money. It was presented to Leitgeb a ceremony in the National Library’s historic Clementinum building.