The Czech author Jakuba Katalpa was born in Plzeň and has drawn widespread praise for the novella Is Soil to be Eaten?(Je hlína k snědku?) which even sold out for a while in her home country. Her more recent novel, The Bitter Sea (Hořké moře) was a great success too – it was nominated for the Jiří Orten Prize, a major accolade for writers under 30. When we wrote to ask her for her thoughts on which book every young European should read, she took us on a journey back to the origins of European culture...

I think everybody – and this doesn’t only apply to Europeans – ought to know their roots. They ought to get to know the circumstances which formed not only their personal history, but also the history and development of their nation. All of us – whether we like it or not – are part of some sort of whole. Europe is made up of many states, and undoubtedly each one of those states boasts an interesting literary tradition and unique works of art. The history of a culture and of a nation are greatly influenced by its spiritual development, and considering the multicoloured mosaic of nations which makes up Europe, it’s important to understand the spiritual development of all its parts, too, in order to understand it as a whole.

Three great religions had (and still have) their part to play in the historical development of Europe: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The art of all European nations grew out of the conflicts, the cooperation and the coexistence of these religions. We find the influence of these religions in literature, in music, in architecture and in art. And the lifeblood of those religions was their sacred texts, texts which likewise became the inspiration of many artists.

Primitive nations and societies sustained their traditions and history by telling stories. As long as the stories were alive, the nation was alive too.

The most important European stories are the stories of its religions. The history of Europe stems from the interpretation of sacred texts, it stems from the differences between those interpretations and from the conclusions which a particular nation drew from them. On the basis of sacred texts, wars were waged, cathedrals were built, and systems of moral and spiritual values emerged.

For young Europeans who want to understand themselves and the culture in which they grew up and developed, it’s essential to be acquainted with those sacred texts. For that reason, every European should, at least once in his or her life, have turned the pages of the texts which form the foundations of the religions which form our continent – that means the Torah, the Bible and the Qur’an.

A familiarity with these texts opens the door to an understanding of further artistic works. A great number of literary works have arisen (and still arise) from a reaction (positive or negative) to those very texts.

Hidden under the surface of our societies, the Old and New Testaments and the Qur’an are the sources which nurture European culture right up to the present day, and which influence the interaction between Europeans and other nations. They are sources which do not dry up and from which we can draw water endlessly. And as long as they yield water, European culture will stay alive.