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Current AffairsLong tradition of ore mining in Czech Republic coming to end
The Czech lands have a long history of ore mining, with the first attempts
dating back to the Stone Age. Although the Czech Republic's metal deposits
have not been exhausted, its mining industry is being phased out. The last
operating uranium mine will be closed down in two years. A comprehensive
study called "Ore and Uranium Mining in the Czech Republic" has
just been published; the study looks back at the history of mining in the
Czech lands and describes the evolution in mining technology, as well as
the impact of mining on the environment. According to its authors, all
prominent mining experts, the book is something of an epitaph to the Czech
mining tradition.
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Czech Books"The Lifted Veil" - George Eliot's Prague melodrama
George Eliot - the pseudonym of the great 19th English century novelist,
Marian Evans - is best known for her novels of rural England, so you may
be wondering why I mention her here on Radio Prague. The answer is quite
simple. One of her most dramatic narratives, The Lifted Veil, has a direct
link with the ancient city of Prague. In 1858, at a time when few English
people visited this part of Central Europe, Eliot, then in her late 30s,
spent a few days in the city on her way to Dresden. Prague made an instant
impression, as she wrote in her journal of the time: More
Czechs in HistoryMilan Simecka - letters from prison, manuscripts abroad
Every once in a while, and it is not often, one comes across a text that
both ideally captures its author but also comes to define a period. A text
that speaks with such frankness but also with finesse you find yourself
recalling its passages at odd, unexpected moments of the day. In today's
Czechs in History: a book of personal letters - written to one's loved
ones - a book from prison. We look at the life and work of journalist,
philosopher, and dissident Milan Simecka.
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Czech BooksBohumil Hrabal and Miroslav Holub - two legends of twentieth century Czech writing
Hello and a very warm welcome to another edition of Czech Books. Over the
last weeks you'll have got used in this programme to hearing the voice of
Bernie Higgins. Today Bernie's on the other side of the microphone. She
joins me in the studio to talk about some of her favourite Czech books.
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ArtsArchitect recalls genesis of Dancing Building as coffee table book published
On the corner of Resslova Street and Rasinovo nabrezi, about a hundred
metres downriver from the National Theatre, stands the best known - and
the most controversial - modern building in Prague, the Tancici Dum, or
Dancing Building. Featuring two curved towers "waltzing", it is
also occasionally referred to as the Fred and Ginger Building. Now, seven
years after its completion, a new coffee table book simply entitled
"Dancing Building" has just been brought out. Dr Jana Ticha of
publishers Zlaty Rez said the book was a long time in gestation.
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Czech BooksFrom Bridget Jones to T.S. Eliot: the mysteries of the Czech market for translations from English
Hello and welcome to Czech Books. And this week I have with me Kristin
Olson, who is a literary agent, and is going to talk about the Czech book
market in relation to the English books that are popular here. First I'd
like to ask you why you came and why you decided to set up a literary
agency?
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Current AffairsNew book looks at transgender experience in Czech society
"I'm just trying to describe the current situation of our minority
here in Czech society - I mean the transgender minority - because I think
the situation could, for sure, be much better."
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Current AffairsCzech reading marathon goes worldwide
Next week, from the 25th to the 29th of May, the sixth annual "Nonstop
Reading" literary marathon will take place all over the world.
Organised by the group Jazz Section-Artforum and the Czech Centres, this
year's event is dedicated to former Czech president Vaclav Havel. The
readings will begin in Prague, and will continue in Czech Centres all over
the world and at the United Nations building in New York. My colleague
Dean Vuletic spoke to former dissident Karel Srp, the head of Jazz
Section-Artforum, and asked him how "Nonstop Reading" started:
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Talking PointBooks in the dock
Two books published recently in this country - one a couple of years ago
and the other at the end of last year - raised very strong reactions among
the lay and expert public. In 2000, a Prague-based publishing house put
out a new Czech-language edition of Adolf Hitler's notorious book
"Mein Kampf". This created uproar in the media, and publisher
Michal Zitko received a three-year suspended prison sentence and a fine of
two million crowns for spreading fascist ideas. Last year, the Supreme
Court annulled the verdict but Mr Zitko is to stand trial again in
mid-June on different charges. In the meantime, another book was published
by an Olomouc-based publisher, called "Taboo in Social Science".
Its author, 32-year-old psychologist Petr Bakalar, elaborates among other
things on the relation between race and intelligence. Mr Bakalar is also
facing legal action. Today we take a closer look at the two books that
have so often been compared by Czech press.
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ArtsBookworld 2003, Central Municipal Library to reopen for public
For the last few weeks it might have seemed that the Czech world of arts
revolved almost exclusively around books. Well this time again, this
programme focuses on two events related to books and literature - as they
simply dominate the arts scene in the coming days. On Thursday, the ninth
Prague book fair, Bookworld 2003 got underway at the Prague Exhibition
Grounds. While it was "water, water everywhere" during last
August's floods, now the Art Nouveau exhibition palace is for four days
flooded with books.
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