Marie Pujmanová

Born June 8, 1893, in Prague; died there May 19, 1958. Czech writer. People’s Artist of Czechoslovakia (1953). Member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia from 1945.

Pujmanová’s writings first appeared in print in 1909. Her early short stories were impressionistic. At the beginning of the 1930’s, she adopted Marxist views under the influence of leftist intellectuals and her acquaintance with J. Fučik. During these years, she wrote publicistic articles advocating realism in art. A trip to the USSR led to the publication of A Look at a New Country (1932). The novel People at the Crossroads (1937), the first part of a trilogy, depicts Czechoslovak society after the country gained its independence. During the years of fascist German domination in Czechoslovakia, Pujmanová wrote poetry (The Songbook, 1939; Raphael and His Satellite, 1944). After the war, she published several collections, including Joy and Pain (1945), Declaration of Love (1949), and Millions of Doves (1950). In the second part of the trilogy, Playing With Fire (1948), and later in the third, Life Against Death (1952), she recreated the Czech people’s struggle against fascism. The trilogy vividly demonstrates Pujmanová’s style, which combines publicistic and psychological elements with lyricism and humor. Other works include the poem Madame Curie (1957), the novella Sister Alena (1958), and travel sketches about India.

Pujmanová received the State Prize in 1937, 1948, 1951, 1953, and 1955.