Library team

Tomáš Sedláček, PhD. (1977) became famous as the author of Economics of Good and Evil: The Quest for Economic Meaning from Gilgamesh to Wall Street (Oxford University Press, 2011); taking a philosophical approach to economics, the book has been translated into 22 languages, became a bestseller in many countries and earned numerous international awards. In the years 2001–2003 he served as an economic advisor in the office of President Václav Havel. From 2003–2006 he was an advisor to the Czech minister of finance and deputy prime minister. He also became a founding member of the Czech government’s National Economic Council. For 16 years he was the chief macroeconomic strategist of the bank Československá obchodní banka. Together with Milan Kundera, he was the only living Czech among the GDI’s Top 100 Thought Leaders. He was a member of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he also lectured, and was on the advisory team of the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso. He has drawn on these experiences in his lecturing activities at home and abroad, including cooperation with prestigious universities such as Harvard, Yale and Georgetown. He is a regular commentator on social, political and economic events.

Contact: tomas.sedlacek@vaclavhavel.cz

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”.

Contact: jachym.topol@vaclavhavel.cz

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”.

Contact: pavel.hajek@vaclavhavel.cz

Barbora Grečnerová graduated from the Faculty of Arts of Charles University in Prague. She has published several translations from Norwegian and writes reviews on contemporary Scandinavian literature. She has professional experience in management of international educational programmes financed by EU and Norway Grants.

Contact: barbora.grecnerova@vaclavhavel.cz  

Sabina Tančevová graduated in theatre production from the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague in 1997. Before and after her studies, she worked at the Office of the President of the Czech Republic and later at Václav Havel's private office as his secretary. During her working career she focused mainly on international relations and protocol. At Václav Havel Library, she is in charge of foreign relations and human rights, as well as the related club events and their production. 

Contact: sabina.tancevova@vaclavhavel.cz

Erika Zlamalová (1985) graduated from the Institute of Czech Studies at the Silesian University in Opava. She contributes to the magazines Týden and In magazín HN and since 2008 has been working for the Prague Writers’ Festival. As an editor she helps shape the Literární.cz and Portálu české literatury websites. Since 2011 she has been a member of the Václav Havel Library’s editorial board, where she serves as a language editor as well as helping prepare and implement its programme.

Contact: erika.zlamalova@vaclavhavel.cz

Monika is an experienced PR and communications professional. She started her career in PR agency, later worked as a spokesperson in various industries of the large international brands and domestic companies. Besides corporate communications, she has been involved in CSR activities, fundraising and organizing of social, cultural and charity projects. In the last three years she has been fully dedicated to the communication of philanthropic projects. At the Václav Havel Library, she is in charge of our donor care.

A graduate of an economics-focused secondary school, she worked as a graphic designer at the Statosféra publishing house and in the administration of Prague’s Lucerna Palace before joining the Václav Havel Library. She is also in charge of production at the Babylon arts review.

Contact: ludmila.selingerova@vaclavhavel.cz

Anna Freimanová 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. 

Contact: anna.freimanova@vaclavhavel.cz

Martin Vidlák graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the Czech Technical University. From 1991 to 2003 he worked in the monitoring and documentation department of the press section of the Office of the President and from 2003 to 2011 he worked with Václav Havel at his private office.

Contact: martin.vidlak@vaclavhavel.cz

Librarian, graphic artist and photographer, DIY concert promoter for many years, programmer at now defunct clubs and independent organiser of arts events, particularly in his native South Bohemia. Author of the book S harpunou na tetanus (Taking on Tetanus with a Harpoon) and song lyrics. Mainly takes care of the book collection and archive at the Václav Havel Library.

Contact: petr.kalas@vaclavhavel.cz

After graduating from a bilingual high school in Brno, Veronika Pikola Brázdilová studied at the French university Sciences Po Paris (Paris Institute of Political Studies). Following two years in Dijon and an Erasmus exchange year in Brussels, she acquired a master’s degree in Paris with specialization in communications. She later became a trainee at the European Commission in Brussels, and then she worked at a Belgian communication agency. In November 2012, she returned to the Czech Republic after six years of living abroad and for a year worked at the Representation of the European Commission in Prague. In November 2013, she started to work at the Václav Havel Library as a Program coordinator and since September 2019 as an International Projects Manager. Between 2021 and 2024, she was on parental leave, and from February to July 2024, she represented the Václav Havel Library as a Fulbright scholar in the USA.She worked at the Bill Clinton Presidential Library in Arkansas and traveled across 21 states (4,200 miles). During her travels in 2015 and 2024, she visited all the Presidential Libraries. She returned to the Václav Havel Library in the fall of 2024 as the Development Manager.

Contact: veronika.brazdilova@vaclavhavel.cz

Ondřej Němec began taking photographs in his 20s, though for political reasons he was not able to study in that field. He apprenticed at a printing works before finding a job as a stagehand and later as a stoker. In 1990, he joined the daily Lidové noviny as a photo reporter and worked there for 22 years. Prior to 1989, his photographs had only been published in samizdat or abroad, often anonymously. He does not take part in competitions and does not like to exhibit. Nevertheless, he received the Revolver Revue Prize for 2012.

Contact: ondrej.nemec@vaclavhavel-library.org

Jakub Čermák – poet, songwriter, director. He has published four collections (Resumé 17; Padavčata; Stroboskopy; Středohoří) and one children’s book (Do vesmíru!). Under the name Cermaque he has released nine albums of music (Krajiny bez rytíře; Dům Slzí; Přítel holubů; Divozemí; Démon v Paříži; Rodinné album; Gravitace; Neboj; Teorie dospělosti), with the last two named nominated for Anděl awards (Alternative and Folk categories). He has also directed the travelogue Skok do vody and the radio documentary Zrní cesta tmou. He has made around 40 music videos for Czech and international artistes. He is responsible for video at the Václav Havel Library.

A graduate of the stage design studio at Brno’s Janacek Academy of Performing Arts, Petr Štefek (1979) has authored the texts Fantomas (2002) and Don Juan (2005). Also does book illustrations, including Měsíc v Parku (Month in a Park) (1999), Moskva-Petuški zpáteční (Moscow-Petushki Return) (2000), Hedvábínka (Little Silky) (2005), Pohádky z pralesa (Primeval Forest Fairytales) (2009) and Stůňu touž nemocí (I’m Got the Same Disease) (2017). Oversees the digitalisation of the archival collection at the Václav Havel Library.