ABOUT ME
Because everyone loves spicy details
VERBAL AIKIDO MASTER,
translator,
and fantasy writer
What else could I become with reading Sapkowski’s The Witcher, and watching Red Dwarf, Black Books, and Monty Python too much?
BLACK BELT IN ART OF WORDS
Do you know what my second native language is?
Yes, witty and dark humour!
Puns, sarcasm – I got my black belt in verbal aikido quite early thanks to the boom of British sitcoms in Czechia back then, and I wear it proudly till this day. Plays on words are my beloved type of game.
And not only them!
WHEN YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH A BRITISH LADY ♥
The smart Tomb Raider‘s heroine Lara Croft stole my heart right from the beginning with her three Bs: braid, brains and… yes, her British dryness. (And let’s not be hypocrites, her iconic boobs, too.)
But it was Daniel Jackson and “Stargate” that sealed my fate of a translator. It’s still my favourite film because it shows the importance of linguists – without Daniel, there would be no travelling through wormholes or understanding of ancient alien technology.
With series about Black Rogan by Juraj Červenák, my interest shifted to my Slavic roots and origin, and long story short, I got a master’s degree in Russian translation studies at Masaryk University. I dreamt of seeing my name (not only) in a translated book, so I set my eyes on the prize and went for it. I achieved that even before I graduated from my translation studies – I used my first real translation job, “Lyod” (2015), for my thesis.
On more earthbound note, I started my career in a translation agency as a project manager. I learnt the process, saw behind the curtain. And I soon knew I have to go my own way – to do what I was born and determined to do.
In 2018, I dove into dangerous freelance waters, learnt to swim with sharks and stand my ground to deliver the top-notch quality, both in localization and writing.
WHAT KIND OF GAMER AM I?
Give me a good game, and I’ll criss-cross it from one edge of the map to another. I’ll test what it lets me to do, explore how far I can push with all various options.
Give me an excellent game – and I will love it forever.
GAMES THAT WON MY HEART
Old Tomb Raider franchise
Witcher 3 – team Yennefer, all the way since I’d read books!
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade – undead warrior tank who covered her team from Illidan, and Tauren druid healer
Hogwarts Legacy – a sly Slytherin lady is a must!
Baldur’s Gate 3 – Dragonborn warlock wreaking chaos with… yep, ascended Astarion
Anno 1800 – because I love history and toying with my cities and colonies, and when everything makes sense
MY CURRENT GAMING TO DO LIST
The Thaumaturge
Vampire Therapist
THE WORD-WITCH:
FROM BOOKWORM TO FANTASY WRITER
I decided to go down the path of the word-witch long time ago. When I started to play online narrative textual RPGs. Later, I became the fate-weaver (Dungeon Master) myself. Even now, I stick to 1:1 written sessions for my friends – to keep my brain in shape and explore new motifs.
My school notebooks had always been full of formulas. Not from math – but magic formulas of my first attempts to write a dark fantasy novel. I didn’t stop after the first chapter. Because I swore to myself I would write a novel before my high school finals.
And I did. As a stubborn, focused witch I am.
Was it published? Well, no.
But before I could fully re-write it (as the publisher requested), I got hooked by modern history, the first half of 20th century. A story from an alternative universe was born – full of shamans, werewolves, witches and things that were not as they seemed.
I wrote several short stories (not only) from the alternative history set in WW1 and WW2 but I always knew this was not a medium for me. I’m a novelist.
So, after many and many years of setbacks and lack of time due to my translation duties, my second-first novel was born.
Curious? You should be!
“Rudý bohatýr” (The Red Bogatyr) is, hopefully, coming to you in 2025. In Czech only – but I’m looking for foreign publishers open to bring this story to their readers.
Want to know more about my writing journey?
AND WHEN A WITCH NEEDS A BREAK?
She cooks up her dark plans!
I torture poor souls as a Dungeon Master in our online textual RPG sessions, read grimoires to gain knowledge for plotting my own books,
play games from my shortlist (I used to be a hardcore gamer but, you know, stories and world domination are more important), research various stuff for my writing, or go for a walk or hike with my fluffy famuli – Finnish lapphund and Yakutian laika. Apart from everyday training, we do nosework and scooterjöring occasionally.
MASTER’S DEGREE
IN RUSSIAN TRANSLATION STUDIES
Which helped me to get my first real translation job – book translation.
Masaryk University
FIRST AID FOR DOGS
Which helped me to realize something is off with my dog, and seek a treatment
By Zuzana Wildmannová
SCANDINAVIA
One-term course on Scandinavian life, culture and facts by Masaryk University.
Which proved me my love for the north is still well alive, and I should have gone study Norwegian as I wanted. Maybe later?
SWEDISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
Two-term course on basics of Swedish, and Swedish traditions by Masaryk University.
Which got me new acquaintances and insights. And I learnt to play kubb!
Master the Art of Subtitling:
the Ultimate Training Course
Which helped me to gain confidence with subtitling from scratch.
By Maria Virgínia Barros
VARIOUS COURSES ON DOG TRAINING AND BEHAVIOUR
Which helped me to understand my previously fearful, unfunctional dog better and make him a happy boy.
Basics of nosework, shaping, dog fitness; fear management, training methods for everyday life.
awards
Because headhunting trophies
are no longer allowed
Contemporary Women‘s Russian Prose
Translation contest – 2nd place
Organized by the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Prague
Translation contest
Translation contest
from Russian to Czech – 2nd place
Organized by the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Prague