Czech media legislation is undergoing the biggest change in decades. Who will supervise public service media, who will pay them, and what level of independence will they have? And what changes would be really needed?

Award ceremony for the 26th annual Miroslav Ivanov Literary Awards for non-fiction titles (for 2024 and 2025). Since 2001, the prize – organised by the Club of Non-Fiction Authors (KALF) with the support of the city of Jaroměř – has been presented to authors of the most outstanding non-fiction publications. A total of 67 works from 31 publishing houses were submitted for this year’s competition. The event will be moderated by Marie Hodinářová.

The Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic is changing. Today there is far more to it than market vendors and convenience store owners, as the second generation has grown up and produced managers, dentists, lawyers, directors, journalists, spokespersons, civil servants and doctors. What was it like for them to grow up straddling Vietnamese and Czech cultures? Which culture dominates their mindset? How do they deal with stereotypes? What were their Christmases like? And how well do those born in the Czech Republic and raised by Czech “grandmothers and aunts” actually speak Vietnamese? These and other topics will be discussed in the June edition of Aktuálně from the Library.

A discussion featuring editors from the weekly Respekt and their guests. For more details, visit www.vaclavhavel.cz prior to the event.

Jože Plečnik (1872–1957): Works for President Masaryk at Prague Castle

Belarusian opposition politician and leader of the Belarusian exile opposition Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will visit Prague and perform at the Václav Havel Library on June 11. Registration is required to participate in the event: czechia.office@tsikhanouskaya.org

A commemorative gathering marking this year’s 100th anniversary of the birth of sculptor Olbram Zoubek (1926–2017). Jiří Lammel will reminisce about his encounters with Zoubek, while Eva Lammelová will present previously unpublished film footage of the sculptor from his studio at Salmovská 7. Jakub Grec and Miloš Doležal will attempt to bring to life the story of his last sculpture and recall the time they spent together.

This collection of 14 key essays and speeches by Václav Havel could just as easily be titled Everything You Wanted to Read to Get to Know Václav Havel but Didn’t Know Where to Start. Drawing from The Power of the Powerless, A Word on Words, Dear Dr. Husák, Politics and Conscience, Letters to Olga and Europe as a Task, it succeeds in presenting a most illuminating picture of Václav Havel’s (literary) and intellectual world.

The book will be introduced by the author of the foreword, Jáchym Topol, and editors Anna Freimanová and Pavel Hájek.

The film IZOLYATSIA chronicles the transformation of the IZOLYATSIA cultural centre in Donetsk, Ukraine, into an infamous prison and torture chamber, exploring the theme of violence as a tool of control. A screening of the documentary will be followed by a discussion with Mykhailo Glubokyi, director of IZOLYATSIA, and Rudolf Samohejl, a visual artist whose work explores, among other things, the “defensive architecture” of data centres.

The evening will be moderated by Respekt editor Dominika Perlínová, who, together with the guests, will explore how “soft” forms of power, digital infrastructure, and automated narratives influence fear, polarization, and collective perception.

Is Václav Havel more of a historical figure, a symbol or a real person to them? How do they encounter his legacy at school, in the media or in the public arena? Our discussion will offer the younger generation’s perspective on the personality and significance of Havel today.

Former chair of the Czech High School Union Adéla Kundrátová, artist and active citizen Ellen Anna Kovačíková, and history and social sciences education student and Agora association member Filip Rytíř will open a discussion, moderated by Jakub Roubíček, which will be followed by a joint debate with students. The goal is to create a space for sharing different perspectives and questions that Havel’s legacy continues to raise today.

Deník N reporters and creators of the America, Baby (Amerika, bejby) podcast have just returned from a three-week trip around Texas. What can this state show us about the future of the entire United States? How is the most powerful country of the West doing after 250 years since its founding? And is Donald Trump still invincible? Come to the live recording of the podcast America Baby with Barbora Chaloupková and Jiří Sobota.

Derek Sayer’s Prague trilogy is an integral part of the city’s history. Beginning with The Coast of Bohemia (1998), these works not only cemented the Czech capital in international consciousness but also made a significant contribution to the debate on “Czech identity”. The author connects seemingly marginal and pivotal historical events from the realms of politics and culture, offering both a perspective on the city’s local history and insights into fundamental questions of broader socio-political and cultural development. With a special focus on the book Postcards from Absurdistan: Prague at the End of History, which was recently translated into Czech and from which excerpts will be read, this evening with the author will revisit some of the themes explored in the book, as well as discuss the genesis of the entire trilogy and Sayer’s approach to writing cultural history.