Martin Palouš (1950) studied natural sciences, philosophy and international law. He was one of the first signatories of Charter 77 and became its spokesman in 1986. From the start of the 1990s he has worked at universities at home and abroad and is at present a visiting professor at the Florida International University in Miami. In the years 1994 – 1998 he chaired the Czech Helsinki Committee, while he twice served as deputy Czech minister of foreign affairs (1990 – 1992 and 1998 – 2001). Between 2001 and 2005 he was Czech ambassador to the United States and from 2006 to 2011 was the Czech Republic’s permanent representative at the UN.

He has published dozens of papers on philosophical, social science and international law issues in the Czech Republic and abroad, and has translated works by Hannah Arendt and Eric Voegelin.

Jáchym Topol (1962), writer and journalist. A signatory of Charter 77, he worked in various labouring jobs. He has published in periodicals such as Revolver revue, Respekt, and Lidové noviny, and is known for novels such as “Sister”, “Gargling with Tar” and “Cold Land”.

Pavel Hájek (1977) holds a PhD in cultural studies. He has experience in the field of sales and has worked as a marketing manager (State Opera Prague) and book designer (Malá Skála Publishing House). He is the author of works of fiction (“Kráska a Netvor”, “Měsíc v parku”) and of studies on the cultural and historical development of the Czech landscape (“Česká krajina a baroko”, “Jde pevně kupředu naše zem”). He is also one of the authors of the literary historical essay “Cavismus - membra disiecta 1917-1934”, the anthology “Krajina zevnitř” and the book “Krajina a revoluce”.

Marie Marková (1981) studies at the Oral History/Contemporary History department of the Faculty of Humanities at Prague’s Charles University. During her time at MeetFactory (2007 – 2010), she acquired experience of preparing residential programmes, production, management and fundraising. Between 2000 and 2007 she was on the Czech national ice hockey team. She is chairwoman of the Divadlo Orlík civic association.

Jan Hron (1981) graduated from the department of Bohemian studies and comparative literature. He has worked as an editor at Czech Radio and at the news website Aktuálně.cz. He has also worked as a teacher at the educational department of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.

Lucie Prachařová (1955) graduated from the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport. She studied teaching in combination with the Czech language and physical education. She worked at the department of physical education at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, then at the department of youth and sports of the Central Bohemia regional authority, where she was responsible for organising school competitions in the region. At the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, she was active in the area of socially pathological phenomena and prevention in schools.

Anna Freimanová (1951) is a librarian by profession. In the 1970s she was an assistant director at the Divadle Na zábradlí theatre, before working as a librarian in the theatre department of the National Museum and at the Municipal Library. She was involved in samizdat publishing, principally with the theatre magazine O divadle. In 1990 – 2003, she served at the President’s Office as Václav Havel’s secretary for literary and theatrical matters. During that period she edited most of the publications of his work in Czech. In the 1990s she co-founded the Aura-Pont theatrical and literary agency and the Foundation Fund of the Alfréd Radok Awards. Between 2004 and 2011 she headed Czech Television’s print division.