The event is presented in collaboration with the Czech Center New York.

About the Author        
Marek Torčík (b. 1993) is a Czech poet and prose writer from Přerov, currently based in Prague, where he studied English literature and culture at Charles University. His poetry collection rhizomy (2016) and recognition as a finalist in the Czech–Slovak poetry competition Básne SK/CZ in 2018 and 2020 established his literary voice early on. His first novel, Rozložíš paměť (Memory Burn, Paseka, 2023), received both the Magnesia Litera Prize for Fiction and the Jiří Orten Prize for authors under thirty in 2024. The novel is being translated into several languages.

About the Book
Set in a small Czech industrial town, Memory Burn is a coming-of-age story of a queer boy confronting trauma, identity, and resilience.

Torčík delves into the recesses of memory in an effort to come to terms with painful memories from his childhood. As a homosexual boy with a slight build growing up in a small industrial town, the protagonist of the story faces severe bullying at school, but his problems aren’t over once he gets home: his mother, a low-paid factory worker who has to look after her father, an alcoholic nearing the end of his life, has very little tolerance of her son’s sexual orientation. One bright spot amid the bleakness of small-town life is the friendship he strikes up with a Romany classmate, Marian, which later develops into a romantic relationship. In the novel Memory Burn, Torčík not only describes people living on the fringes of society in a convincing, sophisticated and precise way, but also implies that sometimes it is better to wipe the slate clean and liberate oneself from negative childhood memories.

Translated into English by Graeme and Suzanne Dibble, Memory Burn illuminates life on the margins with empathy and precision, ultimately asking whether it’s possible to free oneself from the past.

Event Details:
Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at 6 pm

Location: Embassy of the Czech Republic
3900 Spring of Freedom Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008

RSVP required: https://MemoryBurn.eventbrite.com  | Admission free

Embassy Policy: The Embassy of the Czech Republic disclaims and excludes any and all liability for any loss, injury, or damage, alleged to have been suffered by or as a result of or otherwise on its premises. No large bags are allowed. Small purses may be checked as you pass through security for entrance. RSVP confirmation and photo ID required (for adults accompanying children).

Parking: Non-metered parking is available on Spring of Freedom Street and Tilden Street.

Closest Metro: The Embassy is about a 15-20 minute walk from the Van Ness Metro Station.