Jan Lukavec: Imaginary Zoology
- Where: Václav Havel Library, Ostrovní 13, Prague 110 00
- When: January 20, 2020, 19:00 – 21:00
Havel’s pig, Kafka’s chimpanzee… and other animals in the works of major writers. How did the perception of animals evolve under our predecessors? What place did dogs, ants or magpies occupy in their minds and what remains of those meanings today? And can literature help us a achieve a better relationship with our “furry friends” than the one that has prevailed in modern times?
The book Imaginární zoologie (Imaginary Zoology) offers a cultural history of selected animals, from ancient, mythical times to the present day. Generally speaking it chimes with Havel’s assertion that man is not the ruler of nature, merely a part of it. Among other things the publication shows that along with increasing environmental awareness there is also a growing realisation that every animal has its place in the ecosystem and in that sense is worthy of protection and the attention that an increasing range of living organisms are receiving, including from authors.
The book will be discussed by its author Jan Lukavec, anthropologist Lukáš Senft and literary scientist Pavel Kořínek.