Prague Talk
A regular interview series hosted by Ian Willoughby, covering various topics related to life in the Czech Republic. The podcast features conversations with interesting personalities and explores Czech culture, history, and current events.
Epizody
“When I go to the US people only know Kundera” – Jan Zikmund on bringing today’s Czech writers to the world
Earlier this year, Jan Zikmund launched Zikmund Literary , an agency that primarily aims to help Czech authors find readers around the world. But how does he plan to achieve this? How do books from this country tend to fare in foreign markets? And what other states can Czechia learn from in this arena? I discussed these questions and more with Zikmund, who is in his mid 30s and previously helped
Prague Fringe at 25: Steve Gove and Angus Coull on early days of leading fringe festival
Since its seat-of-the-pants beginnings in the early 2000s, the Prague Fringe has established itself as one of the leading events of its kind in Europe. Indeed, this year the festival is marking no less than a quarter century of existence with a packed programme that gets underway on May 22. The Prague Fringe was first dreamt up by two friends: Steve Gove, who still runs it, and Angus Coull, who i
From London to Bohemia: Benjamin Souček on restoring stately homes, and family roots
London-born Benjamin Souček renovates stately homes in Czechia, the country of his forefathers. Indeed, Souček – who is also active in Prague cricket circles – has even received an award at the Czech Senate for his contribution to the country’s cultural heritage.
From “dark mode” to real-life connection: How Pavlína Louženská reads the future
Pavlína Louženská is a trend forecaster, helping banks, startups and other organisations understand likely developments in the coming years – and plan accordingly. When we spoke, the conversation took in the methods Louženská employs to predict the future, why Czechs may be less bothered about keeping up to date than other nations, whether it’s embarrassing to be a “laggard” – and much more.
New Czech Radio U.S. correspondent Jana Ciglerová on Czech-Americans and MAGA and trading Miami for Washington
Jana Ciglerová is just about to become Czech Radio’s correspondent in Washington. Unusually the journalist is moving there not from Prague but Florida, where she has lived for the best part of a decade and worked for a Czech media outlet. Ahead of this big switch, I asked Ciglerová about everything from keeping up with the non-stop pronouncements of President Trump to how living in the U.S. has s
Vít Hořejš and Bonnie Stein on their indie movie co-starring 200-year-old Czech marionettes
This week saw the first screening in Prague of the independent movie Wooden Hearts, which stars Vít Hořejš, founder of the Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre. The fiction film also features many of the traditional puppets that Hořejš – who left Czechoslovakia in the late 1970s – uncovered in an old Czech church in Manhattan several decades ago. He and his life partner Bonnie Stein, who prod
"In the ‘90s the architecture was much more interesting": Jan Bureš on Prague's post-1989 construction boom
Devade (Nineties) is the title of a fascinating new book and exhibition looking at architecture in Prague in the first decade after the Velvet Revolution. Among the best known buildings referred to are hotels such as the Hilton and the Don Giovanni, as well as the Myslbek Palace and the now iconic Dancing House. I discussed the challenges faced by Prague’s architects in the 1990s – as well as the
From Charter 77 to Jim Henson’s studio: Jitka Exler’s journey to Sesame Street and The Muppet Show
Jitka Exler has enjoyed great success in the US, designing and making puppet characters for TV hits The Muppet Show and Sesame Street and working for major toy manufacturers. Exler had been forced to leave her native Czechoslovakia after signing the Charter 77 human rights document at the age of 19. The artist currently has a joint exhibition at the Czech Center New York.
Karel Häring on becoming a face of the Premier League for Czech soccer fans
As a presenter on Canal+ Sport Karel Häring is one of the faces of the English Premier League for many Czech football fans. How has he managed the switch after decades as a print journalist? And what is it like working, and travelling, with star player turned pundit Karel Poborský? I discussed these questions and more with Karel Häring at our Prague studios.
“You don’t think, you just do”: Reporter Darja Stomatová on four years of covering Ukraine war
TV journalist Darja Stomatová has been reporting from Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Last week Stomatová received the Ferdinand Peroutka Prize, perhaps the most prestigious honour in Czech journalism, for her coverage of the conflict. I spoke to the 34-year-old at our studios in Prague.
Radovan Síbrt on Mr. Nobody Against Putin, the Oscar-nominated documentary exposing war propaganda in Russian schools
Czech interest in this year’s Academy Awards will centre on Mr. Nobody Against Putin, a Danish-Czech production nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category. The film contains footage shot surreptitiously by a teacher, Pavel “Pasha” Talankin, who wanted to expose war propaganda in schools in Russia. Talankin had no choice but to flee his native country before the documentary’s release and i
“I’m interested in the female experience”: Photographer Bet Orten on art, motherhood and moving on from fashion
Bet Orten studied fashion photography in London after a stint as an assistant to a well-known celebrity photographer in New York. But for the last decade and a half Orten, whose Instagram profile describes her as a “female photographer taking pictures of other females”, has been living here in her native Prague. We spoke at our studios ahead of an exhibition she has coming up in the Czech capital
“Threats alone are disaster for NATO”: Michal Smetana on Trump, Greenland and future of European security
The Trump administration’s refusal to rule out taking the Danish territory of Greenland by force has caused shockwaves in Europe, with the threat to a fellow NATO member raising grave questions about the alliance’s future. If NATO does cease to exist in its current form, what will that mean in practical terms for European countries such as Czechia? I discussed that and related questions with Mich
Historian Cynthia Paces on when Prague really was heart of Europe – and her own family’s close ties to city
Cynthia Paces is the author of Prague: The Heart of Europe, which traces the city’s fascinating history from the 10th century to the modern era. The US historian also has strong personal ties to the city, from which the Pačes family were forced to flee after the 1948 Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia.
Markéta Irglová on reviving The Swell Season with Glen Hansard, 20 years of Falling Slowly, life in Iceland – and musicals ambitions
Musician Markéta Irglová has had a busy 2025, releasing a new album and touring with Glen Hansard under the name The Swell Season, a joint project that had been dormant for some years. The Czech-Irish pairing famously won an Oscar in 2007 for their song Falling Slowly. First recorded in a studio near Prague, it reached international audiences in Once, as well as a successful musical based on the
Colin Stuart on helping shape ‘90s Czech indie music – and much-loved Colorfactory
Colin Stuart has been a fixture on the Prague music scene since the early 1990s, when he produced the Ecstasy of St. Theresa and several other local bands. He also worked with musicians from those groups on Colorfactory, a project that reached large audiences when the music was used in the era-defining film Šeptej (Whisper). I spoke to Stuart at his studio just around the corner from Prague’s Dan
Katherine Kastner on fascinating Czech family history – and building one of Prague’s top independent galleries
US-born Katherine Kastner is co-owner of Hunt Kastner, an independent Prague gallery that has helped develop the international careers of many Czech artists. Kastner herself has deep Czech roots: Her grandmother was related to Karel and Josef Čapek and in the 1980s she regularly visited Prague, where she was introduced to the local art scene through relatives, and notable artists, Pavel Brázda an
Martin Reiner on hidden Brno district that became “oasis of freedom” – and end of his successful publishers
A relatively little known but highly distinctive Brno district is the subject of Kamenka Republic, a new book edited by writer and publisher Martin Reiner. Speaking from the Moravian capital, he explains what makes Kamenka special – and why it has survived for a century when other interwar workers’ housing “colonies” in Brno have long disappeared. Reiner also discusses why he is calling time on D
Max Diesing on “33 and a third” years of running Prague indie music store
Max Diesing runs Maximum Underground, an alternative music shop located in Prague’s Old Town for many years. In fact the American says he is just about to mark his business’s “33 and a third” birthday as a fixture on the city’s alternative music scene. But what was it like setting up an independent store here just a couple of years after the Velvet Revolution? And what motivates him to keep runni
Lukáš Dolanský: I loved London – but I'm happy I don't have to live there
Lukáš Dolanský is a well-known journalist who until this year served as Czech Television’s correspondent in the United Kingdom. Dolanský underwent something of a baptism of fire in the posting, arriving just days before the news broke of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. That’s among many stories Dolanský recounts, and insights he shares, in a new book, The Colours of My London.
“Disinformation is a lifestyle”: Tomáš Koblížek on how fake news thrives – and how to resist it
Tomáš Koblížek is an expert on disinformation, a phenomenon that has grabbed many headlines in recent years. In a wide-ranging conversation, the philosopher says disinfo isn’t focused only on deceiving people but is also about “boring” them into losing interest in certain issues entirely. But, he argues, it is possible to combat it. I spoke to Koblížek in connection with the recent publication of
“Anything is possible”: Zdeněk Vacek on 25 years of turning life into jewellery
One of Czechia’s most distinctive jewellery designers, Zdeněk Vacek currently has a sensational retrospective of his quarter-century career at Prague’s Museum of Decorative Arts. Vacek, a goldsmith by trade, was previously known for his work under the name Zorya with then life partner Daniel Pošta but now operates solo, mainly producing tailor-made pieces for often affluent clients. I spoke to hi
“I like big tasks”: Zuzana Stivínová on Havel, Forman and joy of acting at National Theatre
Zuzana Stivínová is a well-known Czech actress. She played one of the main roles in the stage version of Václav Havel’s Leaving in 2007 and today is most commonly to be found on the boards of the National Theatre in Prague. She has also worked with such screen directors as Věra Chytilová and Miloš Forman, and starred in the acclaimed TV drama Wasteland. Stivínová, who comes from an artistic backg
The Grandmother translator Susan Reynolds on bringing Czech classic to English-speaking readers
A new translation of one of the most important books in Czech literature, The Grandmother (Babička) by Božena Němcová, will be launched by the UK-based Jantar Publishing at the end of this month. It’s the work of Englishwoman Susan Reynolds, who previously produced an acclaimed translation of another Czech classic, Karel Jaromír Erben’s Kytice. I spoke to Reynolds about how she approached renderi
Director Tereza Nvotová on Father, Mečiar and the politics making her “very scared”
Director Tereza Nvotová is enjoying one of the most successful moments in her career, with her film Father having competed at the recent Venice festival – and now greatly surpassing box office expectations. Nvotová, who is 37, is from Slovakia but moved to Prague two decades ago, and also spends a lot of time in New York. Our conversation takes in the genesis of the hard-hitting Father, her inter
David Mareček: We want whole nation to feel part of success of Czech Philharmonic – it’s theirs too
David Mareček is the director general of the Czech Philharmonic, one of Czechia’s premier cultural institutions. The orchestra, launched in the 1890s with a concert conducted by Dvořák, is based at Prague’s magnificent Rudolfinum, a building that once housed the country’s parliament. And it was there that I spoke to Mr. Mareček about the selection of Jakub Hrůša as next music director – and much
Otto Eibl on Czech elections 2025: Fiala’s legacy, Babiš’s legal woes, “threats to liberal democracy”
Polls suggest outgoing Czech prime minister, Petr Fiala, is one of Europe’s least popular leaders, but does his four-year term actually deserve opprobrium? And what is outlook for potential successor Andrej Babiš when it comes to forming a new government? Or could legal issues even block Mr. Babiš’s appointment? With general elections just two weeks away I discussed those questions and more with
Anna Shavit on campaigning with early ANO, “very polarised” 2025 elections – and potential coalitions
Anna Shavit is one of Czechia’s top experts on political marketing and has herself worked on campaigns for the likes of Karel Schwarzenberg and Andrej Babiš’s ANO. So how does electioneering for October’s general elections compare to previous years? And – going by her personal experience of the billionaire politician – would Mr. Babiš have any qualms about forming a government with anti-system pa
Barbora Baronová, the “punk” publisher putting art before financial stability
Barbora Baronová runs Wo-men, an independent publishing house based in Prague. Since 2012 the company has brought out works by such names as photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková and dancer Miřenka Čechová – and earned many admirers for its striking designs. As Baronová explains, she literally puts everything she has into Wo-men , which is a true labour of love.
“Top Czech influencer” Kovy on politics, marriage equality – and life beyond social media
Karel Kovář, who goes by the name Kovy, is one of Czechia’s biggest social media stars. He shot to fame through witty and entertainng YouTube videos over a decade ago and reached a million subscribers on the platform this year, when he was again named the country’s leading influencer. In this interview Kovář discusses a very broad range of subjects, from hosting the Czech equivalent of the Oscars
Brendan McNally on Martha Dodd, “nympho” spy for Soviets who lived in Prague for decades
Martha Dodd was an American spy for the Soviet Union who spent her final decades in Prague. Dodd’s colourful life, and grim end, are the subject of the book Traitor’s Odyssey by Brendan McNally, a US journalist who himself lived in the Czech capital in the 1990s. And, as he explains, McNally first heard of the story of Martha Dodd from a woman who worked for Radio Prague International in the dept
Police vs. ravers: Šimon Šafránek on how CzechTek culminated in violence
CzechTek was a free techno music festival that drew many tens of thousands and culminated two decades ago in clashes between riot police and participants. The annual unauthorised gathering and the culture that spawned it are the subject of a new podcast by Šimon Šafránek, CzechTek: The Story of Czech Rave. I discussed the background to, and fallout of, the events of 2005 and much more with Šafrán
Michael Tate on Czech roots, Prague – and the serendipitous birth of Jantar Publishing
Michael Tate runs Jantar Publishing, a UK-based firm that issues works in translation, frequently from Czech. Among the small publishing house’s best-selling titles are a handsome edition of the classic Kytice by Karel Jaromír Erben and, more recently, Winterberg’s Last Journey by Jaroslav Rudiš. I spoke to Tate about Jantar’s development since he founded it in 2011, but also about his own Czech
Czech-Vietnamese director Dužan Duong: I’m torn between two worlds – but I use this as an advantage
Writer-director Dužan Duong made a big splash at this month’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival with his debut Summer School, 2001. Dubbed the “first Czech-Viet” movie, it recreates aspects of the 34-year-old’s own childhood, much of which was spent around an outdoor market near the border with Germany. When we met recently the conversation took in the making of Duong’s breakout film, his
Prague’s hidden histories: Chad Bryant on exploring city’s diverse identities via marginalised figures
US academic Chad Bryant explores the recent history of Prague through the prism of diverse personalities in a book just launched in Czech. Prague: Belonging in the Modern City blends the stories of socialists, dissidents, Jews, Germans and Vietnamese with fascinating facts about the development of the metropolis from the late days of the Habsburg Empire to the present time. I spoke to Bryant when
Ondřej Provazník on taking inspiration from choir abuse scandal for Broken Voices
Ondřej Provazník is the writer-director of Broken Voices, a new Czech drama that is in the main competition at the ongoing Karlovy Vary International Film Festival . The powerful picture follows a 13-year-old girl as she comes under the sway of the conductor of her choir and is inspired by a scandal centred on the head of a Prague girls’ choir, who was jailed on multiple sexual abuse charges. I s
Pet insurance exec Derek Cummins: I have to speak Czech to my shelter dog
Derek Cummins is the co-founder of PetExpert, a pet insurance company that has helped foster major growth in that field in this country in recent years. When I spoke to the Irish-born businessman, the conversation took in pet owners’ biggest fears, how the status of canines has been changing in the dog-mad Czechia in recent years and much more.
Marcus Mucha: It’s not nice when you see your family name in Goebbels’ handwriting
Marcus Mucha is the great-grandson of the world-famous Czech painter, illustrator and graphic artist Alphonse Mucha. UK-born Marcus, who is in his mid 40s, is Executive Director of the Mucha Foundation, which preserves and promotes the work of the world renowned Art Nouveau pioneer. When we spoke at its recently opened Mucha Museum in the heart of Prague the conversation took in such topics as th
Isabel Stainsby: My parents said, “We forbid you from studying Czech” – Don’t say that to a teenager
Isabel Stainsby is the translator of a gripping memoir by Roma journalist Patrik Banga, which has just been launched in English under the title The True Way Out. Stainsby, who lives in Scotland, first developed an interest in the Czech language – and this country – in her teens. We discussed her work as a translator, love of Czech castles and more after the presentation of the book in Prague.
Developer Serge Borenstein: The pilot said, It’s nothing, it’s Karlín
No foreigner can have had such an impact on Prague in the modern era as Serge Borenstein. Indeed in three and a half decades, the Belgian-born developer has been behind new constructions totalling a remarkable half a million square metres in and around the capital. His most notable projects have been in Karlín, a district he has almost single-handedly transformed with a series of gleaming office
“We had crazy things happen constantly”: Matt Welch's Prague years
Matt Welch was among the first wave of young Westerners who flooded into Prague in the early 1990s. Today a prominent journalist and commentator in his native US, back then he was one of the founders of Prognosis, Czechoslovakia’s first English-language newspaper. And Welch shared lots of colourful recollections of that formative period of his life from his study in New York.
Tomáš Páleníček: There's a continuum of experimental psychedelic use in Czechia
Dr. Tomáš Páleníček is a leading Czech proponent of the use of psychedelics in certain kinds of psychiatric treatment. The psychiatrist and several colleagues recently appeared in a documentary named Doctor on a Trip that followed them to the Amazon rainforest, where they mapped brain activity during ceremonies centred on ayahuasca, a traditional hallucinogenic drink. I spoke to Páleníček at our
Jiří Pehe on Havel, Zeman – and a dramatic escape to the West
Jiří Pehe is one of Czechia’s best-known political scientists, regularly sharing his insights with domestic and international media. But his own story is also noteworthy. After a dramatic 1981 escape to the West, he made a new life in the US. Following the fall of communism he returned to his native country and became a close advisor to President Václav Havel. Pehe then became director of New Yor
“Movie stars were greeted by a real movie star”: Steven Gaydos remembers Jiří Bartoška
Among the many warm tributes to Jiří Bartoška, who passed away last week at 78, has been one published by Variety from journalist Steven Gaydos. The Czech actor took the reins at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 1994 and that was also the first edition for Gaydos, who subsequently watched Bartoška and his team turn a moribund event into the vibrant, internationally renowned celebra
Martina Skála on working with Forman and Polanski – and dancing with horses
Writer and artist Martina Skála grew up in Prague’s picturesque Malá Strana district before leaving for France in the mid-1980s and eventually settling in California. Skála, who studied history and set design, has also had an unusually broad range of jobs, from acting as an advisor to the female leads on The Unbearable Lightness of Being to literally dancing with horses.
Antonín Kokeš: We saw great bakeries in Germany and France – I said, Why don’t we have it here?
Antonín Kokeš is the man behind Antonínovo pekařství, a successful chain of bakeries. The Moravian-born entrepreneur is also the owner of Albi, a company best-known for the board games that can be found in many Czech homes. We discussed both those businesses and much more at Kokeš’s latest venture, a new branch of Antonín’s Bakery due to open on May 1 in a grand building on Prague’s Náměstí Míru.
Helena Lukas on photographer dad Jan: "He said, I want you to live in a free world"
Helena Lukas, daughter of the major Czech photographer Jan Lukas, escaped to the West with her family in the mid-1960s. In New York the Lukases were part of a Czech cultural elite in exile that included such names as Jiří Voskovec, Ferdinand Peroutka and Alexander Hackenschmied. Helena Lukas is currently in Czechia preparing an exhibition of her father’s work that will open in the town of Dobrovi
“It was year zero”: Miloš Hroch maps ‘90s Czech shoegaze scene in new book
Perhaps the only time Czech rock bands have made a significant splash internationally was in the early 1990s, when groups like the Ecstasy of St. Theresa were covered in the UK music press. EOST, who made the independent charts in England, were the vanguard of a local iteration of the shoegaze genre then in vogue in London. And that scene is the subject of the new book Šeptej nahlas: Český shoega
Jeffrey Martin on mapping Prague’s streets in 1.3 million photos
Jeffrey Martin, a pioneer in the field of 360-degree photography, has been living in Prague for a quarter of a century. Recently his company Mosaic launched a 15-terapixel open-source data set of high resolution street view imagery of the city. How is this incredibly detailed mapping carried out? And who are the many users already accessing the resource, which is free for non-commercial use? I sp
Martin Dušek maps anarchic Czech approach to construction in new film
Director Martin Dušek’s latest documentary looks at the issue of taste, primarily when it comes to how Czechs handle home construction/renovation and the urban landscape. A DIY approach is deeply ingrained and many refuse to hire architects, regarding their services – says a speaker in the film – as something “extra”. I caught up with Dušek shortly after producer Czech Television broadcast the fi
Guy Roberts: Czechia felt truly free in way I hadn’t experienced in US
US-born Guy Roberts founded and heads the Prague Shakespeare Company. He can also currently be seen on TV screens around the world acting in the fantasy series The Wheel of Time, whose third season has just kicked off. Our conversation also takes in Roberts’ Czech roots, expertise as a fight coordinator, involvement in a big-budget Jan Žižka biopic and lots more.
Jerina Sykora: My motive for fleeing Venezuela was same as my grandmother’s for leaving Czechoslovakia
Venezuelan-born Jerina Sykora was named after her Czech grandmother Jiřina, who fled to the South American state in the wake of the 1948 Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia. Jerina herself fled in the other direction; among millions of people who have quit Venezuela due to its political turmoil, she and her family have resettled in Czechia under a government repatriation scheme. Their gripping s
Ondřej Pilný: I’m planning to learn Irish properly the third time around
Ondřej Pilný is a professor of English and American literatures at Prague’s Charles University, where he also heads the Centre for Irish Studies. As he explains in our interview, his career path was greatly shaped by a series of coincidences that led him to Dublin in his student days. Pilný also discusses literary links between Czechia and Ireland – and says low pay prevents him and his colleague
“It’s a knock-out view”: Brit Guy Barker on bringing new terrace to Rudolfinum roof
UK businessman Guy Barker is behind a project set to bring a new terrace to the roof of Prague’s 19th century Rudolfinum. His Arcona Capital, a real estate investment company active in a number of EU countries, is a sponsor of the Czech Philharmonic, which calls the magnificent building home. When we met at Arcona Capital’s offices, Mr. Barker also discussed a notable development it is involved w
"My fear is we now bet on EU for security": Jan Kofroň on where new US stance leaves Czechs
Many European leaders have been aghast at American moves to unilaterally agree a Ukraine “peace deal” with Russia and their concerns have only been intensified by an explosive speech by the US vice-president that some say signals a sundering of the transatlantic alliance. What does the Trump administration’s approach mean for Czech defence policy? And how likely is conscription to return? I discu
Really doing your share at home? Martina Dvořáková’s audit helps couples find out
Martina Dvořáková was so tired of the gender imbalance in household labour in Czechia that she did something about it, creating a Fair Household audit. It’s a questionnaire that helps couples reflect on who does what in the home – and whether that division of work is truly equitable. I discussed several aspects of the project with Dvořáková, as well as why the term “feminist” continues to be frow
Petr Brod: It could be dangerous to speak German in 1950s Czechoslovakia
Petr Brod grew up in a German-speaking Jewish family in communist Prague, soon learning it was wiser to converse in Czech in public. Brod fulfilled his ambition of becoming a journalist following a move to West Germany in his late teens, and found considerable success; after a stint at the BBC that saw him work on some of its top political shows, he joined Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which p
Jewish Museum head Pavla Niklová: When Oct. 7 happened we realised we live in an open society
Pavla Niklová has been the director of the Jewish Museum in Prague, one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the world, for around a year and a half. When we spoke at her office on the edge of the city’s Jewish Quarter, the conversation took in everything from Niklová’s own background to whether the museum has been much impacted by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Miroslav Wanek on how Už jsme doma reached US audiences like no other Czech band
Miroslav Wanek is the leader of Už jsme doma, a Czech alternative band who this year are celebrating 40 years of existence. Už jsme doma have performed in over three dozen countries, most notably in the US, where they have notched up a remarkable 800-plus shows. Wanek, today 62, also has other strings to his bow. He could have entered politics after playing an active role in the Velvet Revolution
Pavel Fuksa: Very centre of Prague is visually appalling, a Wild West
If you’ve been to Prague in recent years, chances are high that you’ve encountered the work of Pavel Fuksa. The graphic designer is behind a series of official posters welcoming visitors to the city – and encouraging them to be on good behaviour. Fuksa, who is 42, has in the past worked for several of the world’s largest brands, including Nike, Facebook and Lego. What’s more, he is deeply interes
Diving into Waves: Jiří Mádl on massive hit "1968" film
Waves by Jiří Mádl wasn’t only the most successful Czech film at the box office in 2024: the movie, which centres on events at Czechoslovak Radio at the time of the Soviet invasion, is also one of the biggest cinema hits the country has seen in the modern era. Now Waves is also aiming for international glory, having made the shortlist of 15 pictures in contention for the Best International Oscar,
Biochemist Jan Konvalinka: I hate us being called a “very good East European institute”
Regular media appearances made biochemist Jan Konvalinka a well-known figure in Czechia during the Covid crisis, a period he calls the pinnacle of his professional life. A one-time vice rector at Prague’s Charles University, he is today director of the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Czech Academy of Sciences – and spearheaded its establishment of an outpost in Boston this
Watching the Jackals: Daniela Richterová on revolutionaries and terrorists in pre-‘89 Prague
A new book reveals the untold story of Czechoslovakia’s complex relations with terrorists and revolutionaries from the Middle East and elsewhere in the Cold War period. Watching the Jackals by historian Daniela Richterová draws on intelligence files to show how major figures such as Carlos the Jackal, Che Guevara and a mastermind of the 1972 Munich Olympic massacre visited Prague, often repeatedl
Jitka Pánek Jurková: Czechia’s cultural credit is really strong – we just need to be smart about it
More than two dozen Czech Centres on four continents represent a shop window for Czech culture around the world. But what more can the country do to boost its international image? And how does the network decide where to open, or close, branches? I discussed those questions, and way more, with the director of the Czech Centres, Jitka Pánek Jurková, who took up the post a year ago this month, at t
Pavel Klusák on Suchý, Šlitr and the explosion that was Semafor
Prague’s Semafor theatre was the most significant arts institution in 1960s Czechoslovakia, ushering in a new era against the backdrop of a slow political thaw in the communist country. Semafor was centred on the song-writing duo of Jiří Suchý and Jiří Šlitr and gave starts to a whole generation of enormous and enduring pop stars. Top Czech music writer Pavel Klusák explores the theatre’s great d
Tom Gross: I delivered Western jeans to Václav Havel pre-1989
Tom Gross campaigned for Roma rights and was active in the media in early 1990s Prague. However, the Englishman had had some remarkable experiences in the city even before joining the influx of young westerners to Czechoslovakia’s new democracy. These included covert deliveries to leading dissidents in the communist period – and inadvertently being in close proximity to some of the world’s most n
Osamu Okamura: Most quality architecture is now happening outside Prague
Osamu Okamura was born in Tokyo to Japanese-Czech parents but moved to Prague while still an infant. An architect by profession, he is involved in a wide slew of activities, from academic work to popularising the concept of liveable cities among the general public. His family name is well-known in Czechia largely thanks to his brother Tomio Okamura, who heads a leading anti-EU political party, wh
Igor Pomerantsev: The BBC, and Daniel Defoe, helped me understand democracy
The poet and veteran broadcaster Igor Pomerantsev has been living in Prague since the mid-1990s, when his station, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, moved to the Czech capital. Born in Russia but raised in Ukraine, Pomerantsev left the Soviet Union at the end of his 20s after being accused of circulating “anti-Soviet literature”. He and his family later settled in London, where he worked for the R
Adam Stewart: Many Czechs don’t believe Cimrman plays could possibly work in English
Englishman Adam Stewart is the founder and artistic director of the Prague Youth Theatre, a thriving company bring together around 200 children and teenagers from dozens of different nations in the Czech capital. He is also a leading member of the Cimrman English Theatre; it performs plays “by” the much-loved Czech comedic character Jára Cimrman to English-speaking audiences and recently celebrat
Success, home, friendship focus of Marie Dvořáková’s new Marie Tomanová documentary
New documentary World Between Us follows Czech photographer Marie Tomanová as her career skyrockets in New York. The intimate film is also a portrait of Tomanová’s art historian husband, Thomas Beachdel – and reflects the close friendship between the photographer and its director, fellow Czech Marie Dvořáková. I caught up with Dvořáková, a one-time Student Oscar winner who has also spent a large
Anne Marie Kenny: From singing at Havel’s invitation to business in ‘90s Prague
US singer Anne Marie Kenny first came to Czechoslovakia in 1990 at the invitation of President Václav Havel, who facilitated a concert for her at a Prague club. She later launched a successful employment and training agency and remained in her ancestral homeland for the rest of the decade. Kenny shares these stories and much more in her memoir A Song for Bohemia, which has just been launched in C
Jan P. Muchow: During EOST hiatus I’d always meet bandmate Winterová on school run
This year the Ecstasy of St. Theresa, perhaps the best-known Czech indie band of the 1990s and 2000s, delighted fans by returning to the stage after a hiatus of almost a decade. And the group, whose core members are founder Jan P. Muchow and singer and actress Kateřina Winterová, are also planning to release new music, the former says in an interview conducted at his Prague studio. Muchow also di
Petr Sís: My Amadeus poster was incredible calling card in US
The Czech-born, US-based illustrator and writer Petr Sís has just seen the publication of his latest work, a book of In Praise of Mystery by American poet laureate Ada Limon. In a project years in the making, the poem has also been etched onto a NASA spaceship bound for Jupiter’s moon Europa. In an interview from his home in New York State, Sís discussed the new book as well as his poster for the
“No other spirit has so much mystery”: Evan Rail on absinthe’s Czech links and more
Evan Rail’s The Absinthe Forger is a true crime story that also explores the fascinating history of the spirit itself. Central to the new book is the absinthe produced before the “evil drink” was banned virtually everywhere in the early 20th century – only to make a comeback in the 1990s, a revival in which Czechia played a major part. Rail, a long-time resident of Prague, discussed that aspect o
Moving forward, step by step: Marek Hovorka on 28 years of Ji.hlava
As director of the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, Marek Hovorka is one of the most important people in the field of documentaries in Czechia. The 44-year-old started the event while still at school and today it draws many thousands of film buffs to the usually sleepy Vysočina town every year. Ahead of the 28th edition of Ji.hlava I caught up with Hovorka to discuss the festival
Writer Jana Prikryl on how her parents’ escape from Czechoslovakia shaped her life – and language
Jana Prikryl was five, and called Jana Přikrylová, when her parents fled communist Czechoslovakia in the early 1980s and built a new life in the West. She has since gone on to become a successful poet and a top editor at the highly respected New York Review of Books. But how much did initially speaking Czech shape the writer’s approach to language? I discussed that question and many more with Pri
Euan Edworthy: My RAF father said, Don’t forget those brave Czech airmen who fought in WWII
UK public relations man Euan Edworthy has called Prague home for the last three decades. In that time he has been involved in a number of initiatives, perhaps most notably building a monument to Czechoslovak WWII RAF aviators in the city’s Klárov district, that have earned him UK honour the MBE for services to Czech-British relations. We spoke at the offices of his company Best Communications, ri
Milan Babík: Heading Havel Library after 30 years in US
When Milan Babík was appointed director of the Václav Havel Library recently his name was not familiar to many. That is in large part because he had spent the previous three decades in the United States, where he effectively emigrated as a teenager, in search of educational opportunity. When I spoke to Mr. Babík at the Library, a stone’s throw from Prague’s Národní, we discussed the institution’s
Czech Please: You can eat as well in Prague as in major world cities
The anonymous writer behind the Czech Please social media accounts has been reviewing restaurants in Prague for over a decade and a half. Also going by the pen name Brewsta, Czech Please has built up a large and dedicated following as one of Czechia’s best-known English-language food bloggers. When we met at a cool Prague café, we discussed the city’s dining scene at length – but I first asked Cz
Veronika Tuckerová: Dissidents like Havel felt their prison experiences were scripted by Kafka
Veronika Tuckerová has been teaching Czech Studies at Harvard University for the past decade. But she has also done extensive research into the Prague German-language author Franz Kafka. Indeed, the academic is currently preparing a book entitled Reading Kafka in Prague: The Reception of Franz Kafka in Czechoslovakia, which mainly looks at changing perceptions of the writer in the communist perio
