The article examines transnational novels and their translations with the goal to analyze English insertions in a Czech-language novel by J. Škvorecký, Czech insertions in a German-language novel by L. Moníková and Slovak insertions and enciphered realia in Germanlanguage novels by I. Brežná. The conclusion is made about the role of foreign insertions and realia in the representation of Czech and Slovak identities in these novels and about the requirement to convey this literary technique in literary translation.