Vaclav Havel

Vaclav Havel was born in Czechoslovakia in 1936. His plays have been produced around the world, and he is the author of many influential essays and speeches on totalitarianism, dissent and democratic renewal. He was a founding spokesman for Charter 77, and served as president of the Czech Republic until 2003. He died in December 2011.

Vaclav Havel on Granta.com

Essays & MemoirEssays & Memoir | The Online Edition

Essays & Memoir | The Online Edition

Meeting Gorbachev

Václav Havel

‘By now the Glasnost Tsar has reached the spot where I am standing. He is rather short and stocky, a cuddly ball-like figure hemmed in by his gigantic bodyguards, giving the impression of someone shy and helpless.’