Self-destructive behaviour is usually only curbed by a hard knock against a brick wall. To prevent such a knock from occurring, Not so Fair Fairy Tales was created – a collection of original stories straddling the line between academic and artistic works, written by Marta Sýkorová from the Institute of Social Health (OUSHI) at the Sts Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology, Palacký University. The book, which can serve as a welcome aid in the field of personal development, is now also being published in English and is set to reach international markets.
Suppressing one’s own needs, people-pleasing or, for instance, an inability to set boundaries – these are examples of the behaviours addressed in Not so Fair Fairy Tales, behaviours through which the main characters harm or destroy themselves. The author, who specialises in research into high sensitivity and embodiment, uses the world of fairy tales to highlight the negative consequences of such behaviour. However, the fairy tales also offer happy endings and are accompanied by useful tips and questions designed to motivate change.
With the support of the UP Endowment Fund, the book was published in early 2025 by Malvern Publishing; its English version is now being published by UP Press. “The English edition differs considerably from the original, particularly in terms of its graphic design.” Anna Severová, who illustrated the Czech edition, has reworked all the illustrations and harmonised them with the lettering and stylised captions. Jakub Kovařík, who typeset the original version, also put in a great deal of work. Together, they have elevated the book to a new level, and not just in terms of its graphic design,” said Marta Sýkorová.
“Credit for the English version is, of course, also due to the translator Hana Geldmacher, as well as embodiment tutor Mark Walsh, the artists from the Tictac Art Centre in Brussels, and many others who sought English equivalents for the names of the fairy-tale characters and promised to help bring the stories to the world. The UP Press also did a brilliant job. I am very grateful to the UP Endowment Fund for their support, which went beyond financial assistance,” added the author.
As well as her academic work, she is also involved in music and theatrical improvisation, and has already transformed the book Not so Fair Fairy Tales into a live, multi-genre project, with which, amongst other things, she succeeded last year in the Social Impact Award (SIA) competition, where she won the People’s Choice Award. The project includes artistic performances and interactive workshops; one of these will take place in Olomouc this autumn as part of lifelong learning. Not so Fair Fairy Tales will also be performed on 19 November at the Red Church of the Olomouc Research Library in Olomouc (more here), and those interested can catch the immersive production EVO LUCE – which explores the evolutionary tension between an individual’s uniqueness and the need to connect with others – on 28 October at the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival.
“I would like to stage an authorial performance or launch Not so Fair Fairy Tales in Brussels, where I hope to establish and develop a collaboration with the Czech Centre. And, of course, I would like to take my authorial productions and workshops embodying narrativity further afield, through the community of embodiment instructors or SIA Alumni,” explained Marta Sýkorová.
Her plans are also confirmed by Tomáš Franta from UP Press. “We will be reaching out directly to overseas associations and groups that specialise in embodiment-based methods and with whom the author is in close contact. In addition, we plan to present the book to both academic and non-academic international communities in the Czech Republic, as well as at international book fairs and other events. The book is sure to find its English-speaking readership in both print and digital formats, thanks to our extensive partner distribution network, which also covers English-language titles,” he added, noting that the book will be available in digital form – and later in print – on Amazon, for example.
Interested readers can find the English version of Velmi špatné pohádky, titled Not So Fair Fairy Tales, here in the UP Press online shop.