Emil Cina trained as a milling machine operator. After completing his military service, where he served as a tank driver, he worked for twenty years in the family coal-delivery business. In 1992, he became an editor and presenter of the minority programme Klub dorozumění (Club of Understanding) on the Regina station of Czech Radio, after initially working there for several years as building maintenance.
His first poems were published in the magazine Amaro lav / Our Word in 1990, then he became one of the editors of the magazine Gendalos / Mirror. He regularly contributed his prose to the magazines Romano hangos / Romani Voice and Romano voďi / Romani Soul. In addition to poetry, his literary works focused on humorous stories from everyday life and mythological fairy tales set in Romani history. Some of these were published in anthologies such as Devla, devla! (Oh God!, Dauphin, 2002) and Legendy, balady a romance národů (Legends, Ballads, and Romances of Nations, Velká Ohrada, 2008). As part of the Romea organization's project Šukar laviben le Romendar / Roma Also Write, the short story “The ajsi šal avel e Viľija" / "That's How Christmas Eve Can Be” (2010) was published electronically and later included in the e-book of Romani narrative prose Moji milí (My Dear Ones, Kher, 2014). The short story “Džas ko papus" / "Going to Grandpa's” was published in the collection Všude samá krása / Nothing But Beauty Everywhere (Kher, 2021). In addition to his own literary work, Emil Cina also translated for film (from/into Romani e.g. Black Cat, White Cat, 1998; ROMing, 2008). In 1997, he won two awards at the Amico Rom International Competition of Romani Artistic Creativity in Lanciano, Italy – for his prose and poetry for children.
Photo: Lukáš Houdek
