Czech Republic
Oko do Baosvěta, Baobab Publishing, Czech Republic
The Czech version of l’œil du monde Oko do Baosvěta – a contraction of “oko světa” (the eye of the world in Czech) and “Baobab”, the organising publishing house – is based on a partnership with libraries and the presence of ambassadors (authors, publishers, illustrators). The aim of the project is to forge strong links between editors and librarians, enabling workshops, meetings and readings to be held with schools.
The Tabook festival, which has been organised by Baobab Publishing for a number of years, will showcase l’œil du monde artists and the libraries involved in the project through meetings, workshops, exhibitions and readings.
Baobab Publishing
Baobab is a small family publishing house specialising in quality children’s books. Since it was founded at the turn of the century, Baobab has been working hard to revitalise the Czech tradition of illustration. This approach is reflected in collaborations with like-minded authors, writers and illustrators, as well as identification of and support for emerging young talent. In this way, Baobab is contributing to the development of the European children’s literature scene and giving its readers access to the most remarkable illustrators of the 20th and 21st centuries.
As well as publishing, Baobab has created and organises a number of cultural events, the most important of which is the Tábook festival, which takes place every September and October in Tábor in the Czech Republic (tabook.cz). Baobab publishers work closely with the Miroslav Šašek Foundation, the Prague Academy of Art and Design (UMPUM), the Tabor Baobab gallery-boutique and the Xaoxax gallery in Prague’s famous Vršovice district.