K-A-V-K-A Publishing
For over 10 years, K-A-V-K-A Publishing has been bringing high-quality art publications to the Czech book market. As we are unable to publish everything, we carefully select the titles included in our publishing plan and then devote the maximum care to them, ensuring that they are not only useful and thought-provoking in terms of content, but also attractive in their design and aesthetically pleasing.
Thematically, we focus on several areas.
From the very beginning, we have been publishing books on Japanese art and aesthetics. In addition to translations of foreign texts and original Czech publications, we have launched the ‘Strings of the Shamisen’ series, in which older Czech texts inspired by Japan are given a new breath, thanks in part to new illustrations by Czech and Japanese artists.
We put great emphasis on monographs on Czech artists. Whether they are well-known figures (Jiří Šalamoun, Vladimír Boudník, Luboš Plný, Jan Švankmajer) or unjustly neglected authors (Eva Švankmajerová, Věnceslav Černý, Václav Kabát), we always strive to present not only their work but also their personalities, and to place their work within the context of the thinking and spirit of the times. We often focus on the field of illustration, but we are also interested in surrealism, art brut and applied art.
We also publish smaller-scale artist’s books and catalogues with contemporary artists. This has led, for example, to the creation of David Cajthaml’s bibliophile editions, the well-known Czech fairy tales Znáš to! with illustrations and recordings by Anička Duchaňová, bibliophile Re-construkce with the photographs of Luboš Plný, and Spiriti by Jan Jedlička.
In collaboration with the Franz Kafka Society, we are also reissuing Kafka’s works – in 2024, Letters to Milena, which had long been out of print, were published, and we are currently preparing The Metamorphosis and other titles. Together with the Museum of Czech Literature, we have also revived Josef Portman’s rare illustrated bibliophile editions, published by us in the Kafka / Schamoni / Portman collection.
The portfolio is complemented by artistically designed children’s books, accordion books and cards. Amongst all those involved in these projects, we would like to mention our regular author, Miroslava Jakešová.
Some of our publications have been produced in collaboration with leading institutions in the Czech Republic, notably the National Museum and the Museum of Czech Literature, as well as private galleries.
The graphic design of our books is handled by prominent figures in Czech graphic design, such as Rostislav Vaněk, Jiří Troskov and Pavel Hájek. The young graphic designer Jan Balcar has also demonstrated his talent on several of our most recent projects. All of our books are printed in Czechia.
Although we have focused on the Czech scene from the beginning, we are now publishing an increasing number of titles translated into English or other languages, and we are working to expand the ways in which we can offer our books on Czech art to an international audience.
COMING SOON
Praha 1900 - 2025. Průvodce po moderní architektuře / Zdeněk Lukeš, Pavel Hroch
Prague 1900 - 2025. A Guide to Modern Architecture / Zdeněk Lukeš, Pavel Hroch (EN)
Postoje, Řeč těla v umění / Desmond Morris
Japonské pohádky / Barbora Eliášová
The Metamorphosis / Franz Kafka (EN)
PUBLISHED
Our Books Available in the E-shop
2026
Kunstkamera / Jan Švankmajer (ed.) (CZ/EN)
Václav Kabát: Očarované světy
2025
Věnceslav Černý: Poutník mezi příběhy
Pohlazení pohádkou
Renata Rozsívalová
Jak to (ne)bylo s pražskými strašidly
Rostislav Vaněk: TypeTypo
Imaginárium divadla bratří Formanů a jejich přátel
O perníkové chaloupce / Miroslava Jakešová
2024
Hikobae – 15 pohledů za hranice Iogi
Hikobae – Fifteen Views Beyond Iogi (EN)
Kwaidan – Příběhy a studie o podivných věcech / Lafcadio Hearn, Jan Švankmajer illus.
Dopisy Mileně / Franz Kafka
Vladimír Boudník: Zrcadlo vnitřního života
Kafka / Schamoni / Portman - limitovaná edice
Zpověď šéfa jakuzy / Junichi Saga
2023
Luboš Plný: PLNÝ (CZ/EN/FR)
Návrat do Mongolska
Je ještě někde jiný svět. České verše o Japanu
Eva Švankmajerová – Jsem malířka
Průvodce zmatených I. - IV. / Vladimír Železný (editorial collaboration)
Polévka z Cipralexu / David Cajthaml (CZ/EN/DE)
2022
Znáš to! / Anička Duchaňová
Milan Pitlach – Kniha textů /eseje o umění/
Spiriti / Spirits / Jan Jedlička (CZ/EN/DE/IT)
Pavilon hrůzy / Joe Hloucha
Iogi
Mingei - Lidové umění a řemeslo v Japonsku / Vlasta Winkelhöferová
Básně všechny a jedno leporelo 1978–2021 / Jiří Šalamoun
Jiřina Žertová: Nejen sklo
2021
Kubula a Kuba Kubikula / Jan Jedlička illus.
Nová píseň O velkém příběhu na bavorském pomezí / David Cajthaml
Re-construkce / Luboš Plný (CZ/EN/FR)
Jiří Šalamoun: Nic k zahození
Tak i naopak čili Proč vznikají skvrny na slunci / Jiří Šalamoun
Jak šla zvířátka na vandr / Miroslava Jakešová
2020
Miloslav Chlupáč – katalog
Příběhy / David Cajthaml
Milion bilion vánočních skřítků
Jak liška vymalovala oblohu
2019
Pohádky do dlaní vepsané / Lena Banszel Freyová
Sláma i hedvábí - Život na japonském maloměstě před sto lety / Junichi Saga
2018
Ahoj milá, milostné dopisy s chybami a pomlkami pro polibky / David Cajthaml
2017
Svatební košile / Karel Jaromír Erben, David Cajthaml illus.
Chvála stínů / Džuničiró Tanizaki
2016
Wabi-sabi pro umělce, designéry, básníky a filozofy / Leonard Koren
2015
Miloslav Chlupáč
2014
Pudřenka / David Cajthaml
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