The Congress offers a space for public meetings of experts in Czech language and literature with diverse specializations both from home and abroad. The theme is defined by the open horizons surrounding literary studies in dialogue with linguistics, art-historical studies and other disciplines.

Along four thematic tracks, we are striving in particular to attain new perspectives on the literature of the Czech Lands and its key works as part of the global literary network, or rather on the range of relationships that shape this network beyond traditional national borders (e.g. the book market, cultural transfer, translation and the like). Marking the centenary of the establishment of the Prague Linguistic Circle, we refer to the languages of literature in the Czech Lands and to Czech-language literature throughout the world, as well as to the changing face of linguistics and its interactions with literary studies both now and then. We also offer space for discussions over the contemporary archive of Czech language and literature in the broader sense of society’s intellectual heritage, as well as over memory work and discoveries within this field. We also respond to the challenges that current media and technological changes present to literary communication (e.g., the emergence of AI texts), and we seek a historical framework for them all.

Plenary lectures will be given by:
– Prof. Neil Bermel (University of Sheffield)
– Dr. Lenka Řezníková (Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences)
– Prof. Galin Tihanov (Queen Mary University of London)
– Prof. Irina Wutsdorff (University Münster)

The Congress includes a programme for doctoral students, which is to take the form of a methodological workshop on LLMs, AI and Czech literature. It takes place on 29 June 2026, and is open not only to postgraduate students but also to other interested participants from among the Congress attendees (depending on the capacity of the hall and after prior registration).

The Congress is organized by the Institute of Czech Literature of the Czech Academy of Sciences, in cooperation with its partners, and held under the auspices of the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Dr. Miloš Vystrčil, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, the President of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prof. RNDr. Radomír Pánek, Ph.D., and the Mayor of Prague, Doc. MUDr. Bohuslav Svoboda, CSc.