Vincent Šikula, a popular Slovak author, started his literary career with a short-stories collection inspired by his army service. Authentic storytelling is typical for his books, featuring emotionally driven characters with a heartfelt relationship to people, nature and lasting life values. Emotionality, musicality, colorfulness and poetic details lend a touch of lyricism to Šikula’s writing. Šikula, who studied and played music, uses music not only to enhance his style, but also to add meaning. Nebýva na každom vŕšku hostinec (There is not a Tavern on Every Hill, 1966) is even conceived like a musical composition. The novel trilogy Majstri (Masters, 1976) depicts the Slovak National Uprising and WWII through the prism of the ordinary man. In his short stories and novellas, Šikula perfected his storytelling craft by employing brevity, loving humor and great dialogues. He also wrote books for children.
