An Evening with Uršuľa Kovalyk to launch The Equestrienne

‘An arresting tale of equestrian daring and a young girl’s coming of age set during the final years of communist rule in former Czechoslovakia.’ – Lucy Popescu

The Equestrienne takes us back to 1984 and a small town in the east of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. Karolína is growing up. it is not easy. Her mother has too many boyfriends and her grandmother carries a knife. In an attempt to escape she joins a riding school on the edge of town. There she befriends Romana, a girl with one leg shorter than the other and Matilda, a rider and trainer who helps the two girls overcome their physical limitations. Together they found a successful trick riding team. Soon the town doesn’t seem so small anymore as Karolína explores Pink Floyd and smoking, and discovers her knack for seeing deep into others’ souls.

It’s a poetic and caustically funny coming-of-age novel, translated from Slovak by the hugely experienced Julia and Peter Sherwood.

This evening Uršuľa and Julia will discuss the book, translation and its literary contexts.