Photo: Woebau / CC BY 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Jan Faktor fascinates me as a true border-crosser. Born in Prague, he chose to write in German and went on to win the 2005 Alfred Döblin Prize, among others. Earning literary honors in a language that isn't your mother tongue takes a rare, stubborn devotion to words, and his parallel career as a translator only deepens that impression of a man at home in the spaces between languages. The weighty title of his major novel suggests a writer who digs into memory and the past without flinching. I have real respect for these quiet, uncompromising voices from Central Europe.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Jan Faktor
- Name (Japanese)
- ヤン・ファクトア
- Reading
- やん・ふぁくとあ
- Born
- November 3, 1951 (age 74)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Rabbit
- Origin
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Occupation
- writer / translator / novelist
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 2005 Alfred Döblin Prize
- 2010 Candide Preis
- 1993 Kranichsteiner Literaturpreis
- 2018 Italo-Svevo-Preis
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Georgs Sorgen um die Vergangenheit | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Jan Faktor born?
Born November 3, 1951 (age 74).
Where is Jan Faktor from?
Jan Faktor is from Prague, Czech Republic.
What does Jan Faktor do?
Jan Faktor works as writer, translator, novelist.
What is Jan Faktor known for?
Notable works include Georgs Sorgen um die Vergangenheit.
Writer — see all → · Translator — see all → · More people from Czech Republic →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.