I left university without any clear idea of what I wanted to do. At first I wanted to be a novelist, but soon discovered that I found sitting by myself all day with my thoughts far too lonely. Armed only with the knowledge that I liked writing and languages, I moved from the UK, where I’d grown up with a Czech mother and Slovak father, to Prague, the city my mother hails from, to teach English. I quickly discovered teaching was not for me, but at a loss as to what else I could do with my degree and experience, I carried on.
In my mid-twenties I discovered podcasts and started consuming them in large quantities, finding that they combined my love of fascinating stories, sound and the spoken word with an intimate, personal medium that I could consume while still looking at the world around me. It took me a while to realise that journalism was about a lot more than just news and politics, but once I did, I knew that radio journalism was where I wanted to go. Eventually I got some freelance work with Radio Prague, and after writing a few pieces, I was lucky enough to be offered a job here. I’ve never looked back.
articles by the author
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Brno start-up wins millions in investment money to grow pork in lab
Animal farming is a huge greenhouse gas emitter - but most people are not willing to give up meat. How can we solve this? Entrepreneur Roman Lauš may have the answer.
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New monument to honour teenage girl who helped Heydrich assassins
Prague 8 has chosen the winner of a competition for a memorial to Jindřiška Nováková, the 14-year old girl whose family hid Reinhard Heydrich's assassins.
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Economists: Raising minimum wage would be economic suicide
The head of the Trade Union Confederation has threatened a strike if the minimum wage is not increased. But economists warn that raising it could lead to further inflation.
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Should second foreign language be voluntary for Czech primary school students?
The government has proposed making a second foreign language voluntary for Czech primary school students rather than compulsory as it is currently, sparking debate.
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Czech Wikipedia celebrates its 20th anniversary
The online encyclopaedia Wikipedia has been around for more than two decades, and the Czech language version is not far behind, celebrating its 20th anniversary on Tuesday.
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Pork production in Czechia threatened by rising costs
Last year the number of pigs on Czech farms fell by around ten thousand. Farmers warn that if the government doesn’t step in, Czech pork may disappear from the market.
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Ukrainian Roma struggling to find accommodation in Czechia
Many Ukrainian refugees of Roma origin are having trouble finding accommodation in the Czech Republic, amid allegations that Czechia is employing double standards.
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Czech Republic has Neolithic structures older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian Pyramids
Everyone has heard of the Great Pyramids and Stonehenge, but few know of Central Europe’s ‘roundels’ – Neolithic circular enclosures far older than these more famous sites.
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Czech Institute of Archaelogy hopes to discover "hidden worlds“ in remote area of Sudan
Shaqadud in Sudan is one of the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences' flagship sites. We spoke to Dr. Ladislav Varadzin, who is heading the excavation.
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Fewer guests at Czech restaurants than before the pandemic
The winter low season is over, but restaurant owners say guests have been slow to return, although many have opened their outdoor gardens and terraces to entice passers-by.