Madrid

23. 4. 2012 – Literature Night, Madrid
A tribute to Václav Havel at the Literature Night in Madrid

The Czech Centre Madrid prepared a literary evening called ‘Tribute to Václav Havel’ as part of the Literature Night The Tribute was held on the 23rd April 2012 in the prestigious library Ateneo de Madrid. The evening was moderated by the redactor of the daily El País, Miguel Ángel Villena, a writer and translator of Havel’s books into Spanish Monika Zgustová and a writer José María Ridao. They reminded visitors of the persona of Václav Havel ,not least by reading from his works, but also by telling stories from the numerous personal meetings they had. Theatre company El Sí Mágico presented parts of Havel’s play Leaving and Vernissage, plus extracts from his books Briefly Please and The Power of the Powerless were also read. Havel’s favourite songs by Rolling Stones, Lou Reed and Susan Vega were performed by pianist Igor Procházka and some photographs raising the curtain to his personal and political life, taken by his life friend photographer Oldřich Škácha, were on the display. Among the many people present at the Tribute to Václav Havel were also Spanish politicians, for instance the former Spanish minister of culture César Molina, the general manager of the Cervantes Institute and dozens of ambassadors and top Spanish journalists and writers. Prior to the beginning of the event the Czech Ambassador donated all Havel’s books, which were translated into and published in Spanish, to the Atenea Library including a collection of political speeches by Havel with his signature.