Renata Berkyová comes from Velké Teriakovce, Slovakia. She graduated from Romani studies at Charles University’s Faculty of Arts in Prague. She was part of the Prague Forum for Romani Histories at the Institute for Contemporary History of the Czech Academy of Sciences. She now continues working at the Institute, though not the Forum, focusing on the history of the Romani Holocaust. She published commentaries in the magazine Romano voďi / Romani Soul, on the Romea.cz website, and in the biweekly Romano hangos / Romani Voice. She has published commentaries in the magazine Romano voďi / Romani Soul, on the Romea.cz website, and in the biweekly Romano hangos / Romani Voice. She is a member of the editorial board of the journal of Romani studies Romano džaniben and a member of the editorial board of Kher. She collaborated on the making of the documentaries Shadows of the Romani Holocaust (2016) and LETY (ROMEA production, 2019).
She has been writing intermittently since she was eleven. She began writing intimate and romantic poetry during her studies and came to public attention after winning the Milena Hübschmannová Prize (ROMEA, 2006) in the poetry category. She debuted in the anthology To nej… z Literární ceny Mileny Hübschmannové (The Best of the Milena Hübschmannová Literary Prize, ROMEA, 2007). Her poems were also well received after their publication on the Romea.cz website as part of the Šukar laviben le Romendar / Roma Also Write project (2010). Her work has been included in the special Romani issue of the world literature magazine PLAV (11/2011) and in Romani writing anthologies published in Slovakia and Germany. Her short story “Plán B" / "Plan B” was published in Romano voďi / Romani Soul and on the Romea.cz website.
Photo: Petr zewlakk Vrabec
