Our colleague and the friend of the programme Markéta Kulhánková (Czech Academy of Sciences/Masaryk University Brno) has been awarded the 2025 book prize for Outstanding Research Results by Masaryk University Brno. The award was granted for her most recent book Cease Writing of Achilles: A Narratological Commentary on the Byzantine Heroic Poem Digenis Akritis. 

This volume offers a narratological commentary on Digenis Akritis, a Byzantine heroic poem that blends epic and romance. How does the narrator shape the story? What roles do characters, space, and time play in creating meaning? In a detailed introduction followed by a linear commentary, Markéta Kulhánková answers these questions through a close reading of the poem’s structure and techniques. She also examines how Digenis Akritis engages with earlier traditions through imitation and transtextuality, while presenting a unique frontier hero. Offering clear, accessible tools for understanding Byzantine narrative, the book is an essential resource for students and scholars alike. It invites readers to view Digenis Akritis as both a product of its time and a timeless tale.

The book has been published in the Brill Narratological Commentaries on Ancient Texts series, where it will soon be joined by our programme’s narratological commentary on The Life of Saint Theodore of Edessa. We extend our warmest congratulations to Marketa! We wish her many more brilliant academic achievements and look forward to working with her in the future!