Slovakia´s book market has welcomed the first Slovak illustrated novel Code 9.1.7 written by Jozef Banáš. Following the striking success of the novels Code 9, Code 1 and Code 7, of which 115,000 copies have been sold up to now, the reader gets to hold their illustrated omnibus edition. Such an edition is unique in Slovakia. Photographs, maps, notes, comments and explanations enable the reader to have an insider´s view into the author´s travels and to take a glimpse of the countries in which the stories of the Code-trilogy have been born; to visit attractive places such as China, Tibet, Nepal, India, Kashmir, Vatican, Bhutan, Sikkim, Jerusalem or Bethlehem. The creator of the unparalleled book design is the formally trained artist Juraj Šramko.
In the Code-trilogy, Jozef Banáš presents his philosophy that everything in life needs to abide by the rule of equilibrium. Jozef sets out on a quest for balance between male and female energy in Code 9, between spirituality and materiality in Code 1 and between good and evil in Code 7. Code 9, moreover, focuses on how to love, Code 1 on how to be a good person and Code 7 on how to attain happiness. The author believes that the novels transmit a gripping adventure as well as motivate the readers to look at life from different perspectives.
This trilogy has been published largely due to the managing director of the largest publishing house in Slovakia – Ikar, Gabriela Belopotocká. What preceded its publication? “I have analysed our options on how to deal with such bestsellers as the three Code-novels. We were publishing the illustrated edition of Harry Potter at that time and I asked myself – why only bestseller authors from abroad had illustrated novels? Next I called Mr Banáš and suggested that the many pictures from his travels could be used in a stylish book perfect for the Christmas market. This way we would be able to draw the reader into the atmosphere of places visited by the author. It took a lot of hard work, but the result is fabulous.”
Jozef Banáš (1948) is the most translated Slovak author whose books have become the subject of heated debates. Jozef attracts readers with his unique writing style and encourages them to search for answers to provocative questions. Literary critics say that Jozef has jumped on the train of Slovak literature at full speed taking a seat right in the locomotive. All of his books published since 2006 have surpassed the Slovak limit for being called bestsellers several times. Thirteen books have been released in his home country and fourteen abroad. Noteworthy is the fact that all of his novels deal with serious social, political and religious topics. Jozef Banáš´ works have been published in German, Czech, Polish, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Russian, Arabic, Spanish as well as Hindi.