Josef V. Pleva

Josef Věromír Pleva (12 August 1899 – 7 September 1985) was a Czech writer of books for children. He is best known for Malý Bobeš, a book that belongs to the most important books of Czech children's literature.

Life Pleva was born in Moravská Svratka in Austria-Hungary (today part of Svratka in the Czech Republic). He was born as the eldest of eight children into an evangelical family. His father was a railway worker and the family moved frequently. Pleva trained as a bookbinder and briefly worked as a bookbinder in Frenštát pod Radhoštěm, Nové Město na Moravě and Moravské Budějovice. In 1920–1924, he studied teaching in Čáslav and subsequently became a teacher. He taught in Ječovice, Černouček and various places in the Vysočina Region.

In 1926, he became a member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. Together with his friends, he founded the Group of Literary and Art Workers in 1928. It was supposed to be the opposition to Devětsil. The group ended its activities in 1930, and after he became teacher in Brno in the same year, Pleva turned to writing children's books instead. From 1932, he collaborated with the Czechoslovak Radio and from 1937, he directed broadcasts for schools and youth in this institution.

Work

Pleva's first prose, Eskorta (1929), was about the resistance of ordinary soldiers against the war and their rebellion. He described the strongest experience of his youth. Pleva then wrote many books for children and young adults, often with socialist orientation. Among his most notable books are:

Honours and legacy The films Malý Bobeš (1961) and Malý Bobeš ve městě (1962) were based on his book.

During his life, Pleva received several awards from the communist government of Czechoslovakia, including the Order of Victorious February.

In Brno-Žabovřesky is a street named Plevova after J. V. Pleva.