A lecture and debate was facilitated by Ika Detrichova, former longstanding director of SBS Czech radio, who set Topol´s insights in a wider historical framework—comprehensive and well-suited for the Australian audience.

Jáchym Topol let the guests leaf through the original samizdats and a unique dictionary of forbidden Czechoslovak authors. He remembered the times of the Underground, the Charter 77 and the crucial role of Václav Havel and his contacts abroad (e.g. Heinrich Böll). The audience was captivated by the story of banned books smuggled from Poland to Czechoslovakia, and how glad Topol is that he misjudged the effects of student protests on November 17, 1989. On that day, he and his friends were preparing another issue of the illegal “Revolver Revue“ and thought that the students would not achieve anything.

In his eyes as a poet, he sees the revolution as a “woman pregnant with disappointment and frustration,“ that has only now, 25 years later, fully confirmed its position in the Czech Republic. Jáchym Topol is glad that the Czechs are not indifferent, and that during the celebrations many took to the streets to express their discontentment.

Jáchym Topol called attention to the Václav Havel Library in Prague. He pointed out the importance of programmes supporting Ukraine and opposition forces in Belarus, China and Cuba. Generally speaking, Prague is still perceived as a centre of democracy and human rights support.

25 years ago the revolution took place without bloodshed. The transition of power from the communists to the democrats was smooth. Czechoslovakia´s secession was received peacefully despite widespread disapproval of the political decision. Nowadays we witness new revolutions. Jáchym Topol would like them to take place like the Czechoslovak one.

Attending the 25th anniversary celebration of the Velvet Revolution at the Goethe-Institut, the Chinese poet Yang Yu was among the members of the audience as well. Being a Chinese dissident, he is today what Topol used to be in former Czechoslovakia. The audience appreciated the form and the content of the debate, in particular the sincerity, sense of humour and easiness of the guest speaker.

We are thankful for the cooperation to the Václav Havel Library and the Goethe-Institut.

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