Bratislava, February 14th (TASR) – The publishing house Ikar awarded its most successful authors on February 14th, 2014. During the festive prize ceremony Ikariáda 2013 in the Kempinski Hotel River Park in Bratislava, awards were presented to six Slovak writers. The following were successful on the Slovak book market: Táňa Keleová-Vasilková, Jozef Banáš, Andrea Coddington, Viera Dršková, Andrej Štiavnický and Peter Holka. The Platin Book Award for the novel Liek na smútok (Medicine against Sadness), which sold more than 25,000 copies, went to Táňa Keleová-Vasilková. The Golden Book Awards for more than 15,000 sold copies were presented to Jozef Banáš for the novel Kód 1 Tajomstvo zázraku (Code 1 The Secret of the Miracle), this sales success being reached within an extremely short time period – within three months since the publication of the novel, to Andrea Coddington for the novel Predohra (The Foreplay), to Viera Dršková for the children´s book Maľované písmená (Painted Letters) and to Andrej Štiavnický for the novel Čachtická pani pred najvyšším súdom (The Lady of Csejte before the Highest Court). The literary critic award The Golden Pen was granted to Peter Holka for the novel Pokušenie (Temptation). Each of the awarded authors received an original glass statue made by the artist Martin Augustín.

Táňa Keleová-Vasilková was the first Slovak writer to reach a number of one million sold copies of her books by the end of the year 2012; she has been one of the most popular writers till today. Ikar has published 25 of her novels up to date and she has received Golden or Platinum Book awards for all of them. She is the winner of other prizes as well: Panta Rhei Awards – 1st place in the category of Slovak Author of the Year 2009 and Slovak Author of the Year 2011.

Jozef Banáš is the author of exceptionally successful books Idioti v polititke (Idiots in Politics, 2007), Zóna nadšenia (The Zone of Enthusiasm, 2008), Zastavte Dubčeka! (Stop Dubček!, 2009), Kód 9 (Code 9, 2010), Sezóna potkanov (The Rat Season, 2011), a collection of short stories Posledná nevera (Last Infidelity, 2012), Kód 1 Tajomstvo zázraku (Code 1 The Secret of the Miracle, 2013). Jozef Banáš´s books have been translated in many languages. In 2011, he was awarded the Golden Book for the novel Zastavte Dubčeka! (Stop Dubček!) and the Platinum Book for the novel Kód 9 (Code 9). One year later, he received another Platinum Book Award for the novel Sezóna potkanov (The Rat Season). Jozef Banáš was as well presented a prize for 100,000 sold copies.

Andrea Coddington is one of the most popular Slovak writers. All of her up-till-now published books have become bestsellers: Židovka (The Jewish Woman, 2010), Cudzia krv (The Stranger´s Blood, 2011), Predohra (The Foreplay, 2012), Milovanie (Making Love, 2013). For the novel Židovka (The Jewish Woman) she was awarded the Platinum Book in 2011 and for the novel Cudzia krv (A Stranger´s Blood) she received the Golden Book Award in 2012.

Viera Dršková has dedicated her work to children, she runs a school magazine, organizes different cultural and educational events for children. She has written a book which complements any of the alphabet books accessible on the market nowadays. Her children´s book Maľované písmená (Painted Letters) has sold more than 19,000 copies.

For many years, Andrej Štiavnický has been involved in the study of archival documents dealing with the life of Elisabeth Báthory and the rulers of the 16th and 17th centuries. He recorded his findings in an extensive series of novels. He was awarded the Golden Books as well as Platinum Books for his novels V podzemí Čachtického hradu (In the Basement of the Čachtice Castle ) und Alžbeta Bátoryová vo väzení a na slobode (Elisabeth Báthory in Prison and at Large).

Peter Holka belongs to the most successful and most productive Slovak authors. He debuted in 1983 with the novel Ústie Riečok (The Mouth of the Rivulets). Seventeen more books have been published in the following years. His latest novel is called Pokušenie (Temptation, 2013). He is one of the few Slovak authors who can write splendid books for children and for adults as well. He is the laureate of many literature awards.