Václav Hrabě

Czech poet and writer, and the most important member of the Beat Generation in former Czechoslovakia. Hrabě was born in Příbram to Jan Hrabě and Magdalena Kalinová. He spent his childhood and youth in Lochovice and attended a high school in nearby Hořovice. He graduated in 1957 and moved to Prague, where he continued his education at the Faculty of Pedagogy, studying Czech language and History. After graduation from the university in 1961 he served two years in the army. Upon his discharge he worked in a variety of jobs - as laborer, librarian, writer for the literary magazine Tvář (Face), and finally as teacher. Hrabě's untimely death at the age of twenty-five (he died in his sleep, accidentally poisoned by carbon monoxide), robbed Czech literature of the most important poet of his generation. Hrabě is buried in Lochovovice. He was briefly married (1962-64), and his son is Jan Mikšovský. In 1965 Hrabě met and interviewed American poet Allen Ginsberg during his visit to Prague. Hrabě's poetry, like the writings of other Beat Generation writers, was greatly influenced by jazz and blues music. He taught himself to play on clarinet and saxophone, and played with student bands.

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Český básník a částečně prozaik, jediný významný představitel tzv. Beat generation v Česku.

Tvorba Václava Hraběte úzce souvisela s jazzovou a bluesovou hudbou. Sám se učil hrát na několik hudebních nástrojů, mezi nimi klarinet a saxofon, a koncertoval se studentskými kapelami.

Osobně se setkal s americkým básníkem Allenem Ginsbergem a napsal s ním rozhovor (v roce 1965 u příležitosti jeho vystoupení v Praze).

Hrabětovy básně se za jeho života nedočkaly ani jednoho knižního vydání, všechny soubory vycházely až posmrtně, protože autor tragicky zemřel v necelých pětadvaceti letech, když se otrávil oxidem uhelnatým. Pohřben je v Lochovicích.