Šimon Leitgeb is a Czech poet and the 2021 winner of the prestigious Cena Jiřího Ortena (Jiří Orten Award) for his book Betonová pláž. He is also the author of the 2017 book Mezi náma (Petr Štengl Publishing House, 2017). Mr. Leitgeb has received various awards for his poems in literary competitions throughout the Czech Republic and has published poetry in Czech magazines such as Tvar, Host, and Lidové noviny. In 2016, his verses were listed in the anthology The Best Czech Poems. Mr. Leitgeb is an avid traveler and has been invited to read his work at literary events in Ukraine, Iceland, Romania, Austria, and Slovakia. Within the Czech Republic, he regularly organizes literary events in various cities and towns, as well as collaborates with local and international writers and artists. He has organized the festival Literatura žije! (Literature lives!) for the past three years, and is the host and creator of the literature and music event series called Mezi náma.