VÁCLAV HAVEL (1936-2011) was a renowned Czech playwright, poet, and political dissident, who, after the fall of communism, became president of Czechoslovakia (1989-92) and of the Czech Republic (1993-2003). As a writer of Czech literature, he is known for his plays, essays, and memoirs.
Havel first rose to prominence within the Prague theatre world as a playwright, using the absurdist style in works such as THE GARDEN PARTY (1963) and THE MEMORANDUM (1965) to critique communism. In these and subsequent works Havel explored the self-deluding rationalizations and moral compromises that characterize life under a totalitarian political system. After participating in the Prague Spring and being blacklisted after the invasion of Czechoslovakia, he became more politically active and helped found several dissident initiatives such as Charter 77 and the Committee for the Defense of the Unjustly Prosecuted. His political activities brought him under the surveillance of the secret police and he spent multiple stints in prison, the longest being nearly four years, between 1979 and 1983.
Havel's Civic Forum party played a major role in the Velvet Revolution that toppled communism in Czechoslovakia in 1989. He assumed the presidency shortly thereafter, and was reelected in a landslide the following year and after Slovak independence in 1993. Havel was instrumental in dismantling the Warsaw Pact and expanding NATO membership eastward. Havel continued his life as a public intellectual after his presidency, launching several initiatives including the Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism, the VIZE 97 Foundation, and the Forum 2000 annual conference.
He received numerous accolades during his lifetime including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Gandhi Peace Prize, the Philadelphia Liberty Medal, the Order of Canada, the Four Freedoms Award, the Ambassador of Conscience Award, and the Hanno R. Ellenbogen Citizenship Award.
The following books are in PDF or ePUB format as indicated:
== PLAYS ==
* Beggar's Opera, The (Cornell UP, 2001). Translated by Paul Wilson. -- PDF
* Leaving (Faber, 2008). Translated by Paul Wilson. -- ePUB
* Memorandum, The (Grove, 1967). Translated by Vera Blackwell. -- PDF
* Mountain Hotel, The (1976). Translated by Jitka Martin. -- PDF
== LETTERS & NON-FICTION ==
* Letters to Olga (Holt, 1989). Translated by Paul Wilson. -- PDF
* Living in Truth (Faber, 1989). Edited by Jan Vladislav. -- PDF
* Summer Meditations (Faber, 1992). Translated by Paul Wilson. -- PDF
* To the Castle and Back (Vintage, 2007). Translated by Paul Wilson. -- ePUB
* View from Prague, The [contributer] (CEU, 2007). Jiri Musil and Tomas Vrba, eds. -- PDF
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