Thursday's thought: To the Castle and Back

"We have a right to make use of our pens, as of our tongue, at our peril, risk and hazard." Voltaire

One of the world's literary greats, Vaclav Havel was also pivotal to the transformation of the Czech Republic into a functioning democracy after the fall of Communism. A renowned playwright, Havel served as president of the Czech Republic until 2003. In his newly-published memoir, To the Castle and Back, he describes these extraordinary times. Havel will be interviewed by John Tusa on Saturday 27 September, at 3pm, an English PEN organised event.

He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia (1989-1992) and the first President of the Czech Republic (1993-2003). He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally. He has received the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Philadelphia Liberty Medal, and the Ambassador of Conscience Award.

Although Havel was popular throughout his career, his popularity abroad surpassed his popularity at home. He is no stranger to controversy and criticism. An extensive general pardon, one of his first acts as a president, was an attempt to both lessen the pressure in overcrowded prisons and release those who may have been falsely imprisoned during the Communist era. Critics claimed that this amnesty raised the crime rate. However, according to Havel in his most recent memoir To the Castle and Back, the statistics do not support that allegation, since most released would have been released within a year.

In an interview with Karel Hvíždala (also included in To the Castle and Back), Havel states that he feels his most important accomplishment as president was the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact.

Venue: The Auditorium, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB

How to book: Tickets cost £6; £4 discount. Call 01937 546 546 or visit the British Library Box Office.