Can a graphic designer turn a bad book into a good one? Does a book designer become a co-author? How does graphic design differ between magazines and books? And how will the advent of artificial intelligence affect the work of graphic designers? Linda Kudrnovská and Filip Blažek, creators of the Identity project, along with renowned graphic designer Zuzana Lednická, will discuss the limits and changes of graphic design in the publishing industry and beyond. The debate will be moderated by Jakub Sedláček, editor-in-chief of the Paseka publishing house and editor of the book Neviditelné řemeslo (The Invisible Craft).

In charming sketches in the book Výpravy s knížetem po schwarzenberských místech (Expeditions with the Prince to Schwarzenberg Sites) the writer and traveller Jiří Peňás presents a valuable record of the final wanderings of Prince Karel Schwarzenberg, with whom he had the opportunity to visit places that were particularly dear and memorable to the aristocrat on a number of day-long expeditions. The book-length interview is conducted in a cordial spirit, delivering hitherto unshared information and unrevealed connections. Jáchym Topol will talk to Jiří Peňás about his book and his travels with the nobleman.

How to achieve justice in sexual violence cases? The debate will focus on the restorative approach, which aims to heal relationships negatively impacted by the commission of a crime. It seeks to provide for the victim’s needs and repair the harm and then motivates the offender to take responsibility. Deník N editors Dominika Píhová and Ludmila Blažková will talk with their guests about what justice can mean for both victim and perpetrator, and about the scope of restorative approaches in Czech law.

Cinema premiere of Andrej Krob’s 1988 video staging

One hundred years ago, Virginia Woolf opened up the topic of a room of one’s own, i.e. the possibility of women to create and apply themselves artistically, in the context of the social expectations of the time. How do Czech women writers write and live in 2024? Jana Poncarová, Pavla Horáková, Michaela Klevisová and authors included in the book Vlastní pokoje (Rooms of One’s Own) will take part in a discussion hosted by Barbora Baronová.

Modern Czech and European history, especially when it comes to the totalitarian and authoritarian regimes of the 20th century, is naturally the subject of pluralistic research. At the same time, the West, including the Czech Republic, is currently facing premeditated attacks from genocidal imperial powers, primarily Russia, that – through propaganda and disinterpretation – employ history as a dangerous weapon. How does Russian manipulation of history work, and what is its goal? Which events in Czech history are deliberately weaponised by Russia? What can we do to make society resistant to the falsification of history? Can civic education help? And what is the responsibility of intellectual and political elites?

US historian Michael Kimmage is visiting Prague to present his new book Collisions: The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability, which explores the causes of Europe’s biggest war since 1945. Where has the United States failed, and where has Europe failed? Are relations between the West and Russia even worse today than during the Cold War? And has the war in Ukraine begun a new period of global instability? The debate will be moderated by Barbora Chaloupková, a contributor to the weekly Respekt.

The 10th anniversary edition of the Open House Prague festival will offer a rich programme, opening up 115 buildings and spaces for free throughout the capital. Admission requires registration (www.openhousepraha.cz).

In the late 1980s, so-called round tables played a significant role in many Soviet bloc countries as an instrument of political and social change. The model was a meeting between the Communist regime and elements of the opposition in Poland in the spring of 1989, which gave rise to the country’s first partially free elections since WWII. Michael Kocáb, Vladimír Hanzel and Petr Blažek will discuss the causes, forms and consequences of the round table phenomenon.

As the face of Honest Guide, which has nearly 1.4 million YouTube subscribers, Janek Rubeš is also for many the face of Prague. His videos highlight scams to watch out for, but also offer visitors an insider's guide to the Czech capital. But what motivates the young Praguer to tackle illegal money changers and dodgy exchange offices? And how does he feel the city could be improved? Ian Willoughby of Radio Prague International will put these and many more questions to Rubeš in this edition of In Conversation With…, a series of occasional talks in English hosted by the Václav Havel Library.

A discussion forum with Rostislav Prokopjuk on Ukraine’s past, present and future.

Who is using “gender ideology” as a threat, and why. The example of sex education, its history and concrete practice in Czech school

You will find our stand carrying new and established titles in Hall A, near the entrance to the trade fair grounds. In addition we will be at the Václav Havel Hall at 3 pm on May 23 to introduce the latest publications from the Václav Havel Library, which this year is celebrating 20 years of existence. Participants will include Anna Freimannová, Martin Vidlák and Jan Šulc, while Jáchym Topol will read excerpts.

What state is Slovakia in now, following Robert Fico’s victory in parliamentary elections and Petr Pellegrini’s victory in presidential elections? How might this affect Czech parliamentary elections and the fate of the Czech Republic in the event of a triumph for Andrej Babiš? These will be the topics of Jaroslav Spurný’s discussion with Slovak investigative journalist Marek Vagovič. The discussion will also take in Slovak mafias, freedom of speech and the position of Slovak journalists.

What exactly was samizdat? A weapon against censorship? An alternative form of communication? A collection of uncensored texts? A form of resistance? A network of creative social and cultural practices? A hard-to-find cultural commodity? How was samizdat perceived by those who were personally involved in its production and circulation? What materials can be categorised as samizdat in the first place? What were the most important samizdat initiatives in Hungary? How were they connected with the Polish and Czechoslovak underground? All these questions will be touched on in a lecture and debate linked to Gabor Danyi’s book The Typewriter and the Travelling Bag: Samizdat Literature in the Kádár Era, 1956–1986.

Lež má krátké nohy (Lež má krátké nohy) is a book length interview by Karel Hvížďala with Karol Sidon exploring the word “lie” in the Bible, literature and politics, as well as in the lives of the two men. Miroslav Petříček, Josef Chuchma and Lenka Bradáčová will “baptise” the publication. Petr Fischer will serve as host for the evening and flautist Jiří Stivín will perform.

For some merely a former president, for others still their president. The recently released documentary film Havel Speaking, Can You Hear Me? looks back at Václav Havel’s final years. Leaving office need not mean losing influence or going into seclusion. What was Václav Havel’s life like, how did he cope with an “ex-presidency” that surprised him by being something of a lifetime post, and how did he fill this time? This is what Jiří Kubík, investigative journalist and editor-in-chief of Seznam Zprávy, will ask long-time associates of Havel’s from his presidential and post-presidential periods: Jakub Hladík, Sabina Tančevová and Martin Vidlák.