Jan Kantůrek

Jan Kantůrek (4 May 1948[1] – 22 March 2018)[2] was a Czech translator of fantasy, science fiction, comics and westerns from English.[3] His most known translations are Discworld by Terry Pratchett and books about Conan the Barbarian by Robert E. Howard and his successors.

Kantůrek in 2006
BornJan Kantůrek
(1948-05-04)May 4, 1948
Zlín, Czechoslovakia
(now Zlín, Czech Republic)
DiedMarch 22, 2018(2018-03-22) (aged 69)
Prague, Czech Republic
OccupationTranslator, writer
LanguageCzech
NationalityCzech
GenresFantasy, science fiction
Years active1975–2018

Life

He was married with two children and lived in Prague.[1] Between 1975–1990, Kantůrek worked as a copy editor in the Artia publishing house. From 1990 to 1992 he worked as a director of marketing department in the Aventinum publishing house. Since 1992 he worked as a translator.[1][3]

In 1984 he co-re-established a fan club of Jules Verne, and started translating for its fanzines.[3] He was a comic collector and, according to his own words, he could read English but not speak it.[3]

He also performed as the Librarian in theatrical productions of Pratchett's books. He was awarded "Best Translator" by the Czech Academy of science fiction, fantasy and horrors in 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1999. Discworld was awarded "Best Book Series" in the same years. In 2003 he received an award for his lifetime work in science fiction by the Academy.[4]

gollark: I can't be bothered to grep through all my ebooks and check, but I think there was also a ram head involved.
gollark: That comes under incomprehensible sorcery.
gollark: That runs on ants and incomprehensible sorcery, but close enough I guess.
gollark: I know you meant thermite, but a termite-based one would also be very funny if you made the case or something out of wood.
gollark: Yes, "server destruction device" does seem very fun, you can imagine all sorts of interesting scenarios.

References
  1. http://discworld.cz/zemeplocha.php?section=lide&ID_clovek=2
  2. https://kultura.zpravy.idnes.cz/jank-kanturek-umrti-terry-pratchett-zemeplocha-prekladatel-pl7-/literatura.aspx?c=A180322_201208_show_aktual_bja
  3. https://web.archive.org/web/20080815165044/http://reflex.cz/Clanek528.html
  4. http://interkom.vecnost.cz/~asffh.htm


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