Miroslav Šašek (1916–1980) was a Czech writer and illustrator best known for his iconic “This Is…” series.
Šašek was born in Prague and, after finishing secondary school, enrolled at the School of Architecture, Graphics, and Painting at the Czech Technical University. Trained as an architect, he worked for a Prague travel agency, which allowed him to explore many European countries as well as North Africa. In the 1940s he began illustrating children’s books and contributing sketches and caricatures to Czech periodicals.
In 1947 he moved to Paris to study at the École des Beaux-Arts. After the Communist takeover in Czechoslovakia in 1948, he settled in Munich, where he worked for Radio Free Europe.
His breakthrough came in 1959 with This Is Paris, the first book in his humorous and stylish series of illustrated travel guides for young readers. Eventually the series grew to eighteen titles, covering London, Rome, New York, Edinburgh, Venice, Israel, and many other cities and countries. Šašek approached each place with a warm, observant eye, capturing not only landmarks but also everyday life, the small details that make a city feel alive.
His books were translated into numerous languages and enjoyed wide international success; several were adapted into films. Šašek received many honors throughout his career, and in 1979 his name was added to the IBBY Honour List.
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This Is Rome is one of those books where you open the first spread and immediately feel the weight of centuries settling around you, but in Šašek’s playful way, never solemn, never heavy. Rome in his hands is not a postcard city polished for tourists, it’s a living place, a […]
Miroslav Šašek (1916–1980) was a Czech writer and illustrator best known for his iconic “This Is…” series.
