Objects We Hold Close / Stories from Gemer

2025

"Do you have an object at home that is close to you — one in which your personal story intertwines with the story of this region — and would you like to talk about it?"

This was the question I used to begin each conversation in the book.

I discovered that when I speak with people about objects close to their hearts, I sometimes learn even more about the people themselves. The Gemer region is a fascinating part of Slovakia, and this book opens up its many stories. A caver, a psychiatrist, a beekeeper, a ceramic artist, a restoration worker, and others share what you won’t find written anywhere else — about what connects them to the land, both mentally and physically.

The book brings together 15 deeply personal interviews with: Gabriel Lešinský, Emília Böhmerová, František Szarka, Štefan Ander, Norbert Mogyorósi, Angela Czintelová, Tomáš Székely, Zuzana Liptáková, Matúš Molnár, Viera Kozárová, František Grlák, Peter Palgut, Johana Johanides, Oľga Bodorová, Július Barczi.

Interviews and photographs: Katarína Poliačiková
Editor: Martin Lipták

Book photos: Leontína Berková