Jiří Josek

Jiří Josek (1950–2018) was an acclaimed Czech translator from English, director, dramaturg, and publisher. In the theatrical world, his name is synonymous with modern, dynamic, and highly engaging translations of William Shakespeare's plays and famous American musicals, which continue to fill venues across the Czech Republic. He also lent his voice and linguistic talent to literary icons such as Jack Kerouac (On the Road) and E. L. Doctorow. He taught at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University (FF UK) and ran his own publishing house, Romeo. In 2008, he defended his habilitation thesis On the Way to Shakespeare (Na cestě k Shakespearovi) and became an associate professor (docent).