Events: September 2014
August 2014
October 2014
The Underground Phenomenon
September 5, 2014, 17:00
A gathering for all those for whom “underground” is not just a word or a closed historical chapter. The event is taking place on the eve of the broadcast of a documentary series of the same title by Czech Television. More
Shared Space: The Creation of Cities as Dialogue II
September 8, 2014, 19:00
Another in a series of popularising evenings focused on the main paradigms in the creation of cities in the 21st century. More
Staged reading of Audience and discussion with Barbara Day
September 10, 2014, 19:00
A staged reading of Audience (features the NaHraně theatre actors Martin Severýn and Ondřej Novák, with direction from Šimon Dominik), followed by the next in a series of talks in English with colleagues and friends of Václav Havel - this time with Barbara Day. More
Close your eyes, open your mouth
September 11, 2014, 19:00
Presentation of Zavři oči, otevři pusu (Close Your Eyes, Open Your Mouth), the latest book by novelist Jana Červenková, who among other activities was an editor at the Obsah samizdat review. In powerful and precise prose, she captures the Czech lands after WWII, exploring the period and its politics and showing how ordinary people’s lives were shaped… More
Briketa
September 15, 2014, 19:00
Poetry has been written for over a century in the former steel heart of the country, readers of the tellingly-titled Briketa (Briquette) anthology will discover. The Prague launch of this collection of Ostrava poetry and poetry about Ostrava from 1894 to 2013 will be attended by poets concerned with the truth of God (Petr Bezruč, M. Kurt, Jiří Veselský and others), poets who hardly ever leave France (Milan Kundera) and poets who are genuinely present (Petr Hruška, Bogdan Trojak, Marek Pražák, Ondřej Hložek, Jan Kunze, Vít Adamus, Lukáš Balabán, Marek Toman, Elli Tiliu, Ivan Motýl and many more), at the Václav Havel Library.
Ukraine Literary and Otherwise
September 16, 2014, 19:00
The 29th edition of the magazine PLAV, a world literature monthly, entitled Poetry in the UA features the work of young poets from a young state that has faced tough challenges in recent months. More
Otto Dov Kulka: Landscapes of the Metropolis of Death
September 17, 2014, 19:00
Otto Dov Kulka was interned at the Terezín ghetto at the age of nine and was later sent to the Auschwitz death camp. Long-ago personal experiences pursue him constantly and after many years return to him as living images and reminiscences of a deep childhood trauma that he has not fully come to terms with to this day. More
Debate with Respekt: No more world wars?
September 18, 2014, 19:00
A century after WWI broke out the world is full of unrest. What do this year’s anniversaries linked to the world wars have to tell us and what other conflicts could erupt? Debate between Luboš Dobrovský, Martin M. Šimečka and Pavel Kosatík is moderated by Respekt journalist Tomáš Sacher.
Czech children
September 22, 2014, 19:00
Free continuation in a year-long series from the archive of the Václav Havel Library on the origin and activities of civic initiatives in the breakthrough year of 1989. Jáchym Topol will chair a debate with Petr Placák, who was one of the founders of the independent Czech Children initiative and wrote its monarchist manifesto.
A year with Magor
September 23, 2014, 18:00
On the day Ivan Martin Jirous, nicknamed Magor (Madman), would have been 70 we will screen a documentary film made soon after his sad death. The film brings together a kaleidoscope of stories from the life of Jirous, a poet and art critic best-known for working with the underground group The Plastic People of the Universe and who was imprisoned five times for his activities. Oliver Malina Morgenstern’s film has met with mixed reviews. The screening will be followed by a debate with the director.
On the White Theatre at Hrádeček
September 24, 2014, 19:00
Zdena Bratršovská and František Hrdlička, who are presenting their new autobiographical book O kočkách a lidech (Of Cats and Men), will discuss their encounters with Václav Havel and other important figures from the world of culture (I. M. Jirous, E. Krumbachová, M. Kundera, F. Pavlíček, E. Valenta, etc.). They will also discuss the unofficial White Theatre from the turn of the 1970s and ‘80s, with which they were involved. The evening will be hosted by Jan Šulc while the authors and the actress Marcela Nohýnková will read extracts.
Economic sanctions against Russia
September 25, 2014, 18:00
Economic sanctions against Russia and other topical issues surrounding the response of Europe and the world to Russia’s power ambitions will be discussed by journalist and Václav Havel Library Board of Trustees chairman Jan Macháček and his guests: Kateřina Šafaříková, Helena Horská, Luboš Dobrovský, Petr Kolář, Luděk Niedermayer and Tomáš Prouza.