Ian Willoughby
Having moved from my native Ireland to the then newly established Czech Republic in 1993, I was hired at Radio Prague in late 2001. Within a few weeks of joining the station I had got to interview two members of Monty Python (Jones and Gilliam) and thought, This is the job for me. Since then I have reported on all manner of subjects, ranging from Czech accession to the European Union to an oyster eating contest on Old Town Square. My steady feature in recent years has been the interview slot One on One and though it is challenging constantly finding guests it has been a fantastic experience. Recording the monthly My Prague has also been a treat, with subjects almost invariably taking me to at least one spot with which I had previously been unfamiliar.
articles by the author
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Václav Bartuška: “The revolution was too velvety”
Václav Bartuška is Czechia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom. In the past he has been a 1989 student leader, a journalist and the government's envoy for energy securituy.
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Havel ALIVE festival to celebrate late president's legacy at Prague Castle
Among the events marking the 90th anniversary of Václav Havel’s birth in October will be the festival Havel ALIVE at Prague Castle. We speak to its organisers.
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Poles and Czechs talk up links after “annexation” disinfo campaign
Polish and Czech officials have been praising the countries’ positive relations in response to a disinformation campaign claiming Poland wanted to seize Czech territory.
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PM Babiš on Invalidovna overhaul: “It’s a great project”
A major overhaul of Prague’s Invalidovna complex has just been launched, with the PM telling Radio Prague International it should become a new cultural hub in the capital.
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Liberec Zoo sea lion dies after swallowing child’s toy, raising safety concerns
A sea lion died at a zoo in the north Bohemian city of Liberec at the weekend after part of a child’s toy evidently got stuck in its gullet.
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“He was sending a message to future generations”: Artist Hynek Martinec on Jan Palach’s legacy
A painting by Hynek Martinec of the death mask of Jan Palach was unveiled on Friday, the anniversary of the Soviet-led invasion that preceded Palach's self-immolation.
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Ester Geislerová: Parents are always more complex than how we know them from our childhoods
Artist and actress Ester Geislerová has spent much of 2026 introducing people to the story of her late father, via a major exhibition and most recently a documentary.
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“Totally fresh” documentary If Pigeons Turned to Gold chosen as Czech submission for Oscars
The raw and inventive If Pigeons Turned to Gold has been selected as Czechia’s submission for the Best International Film at the 2027 Oscars. But does it have a chance?
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Velvet Blues: Czech and Slovak Romany story collection set for Frankfurt Book Fair
Velvet Blues, a collection of stories by Czech and Slovak Romany writers, will be presented at October’s Frankfurt Book Fair, where Czechia will be guest of honour.
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Economists: Government plan to loosen fiscal rules threatens public finances
A group of economists have called on the government to drop plans to loosen rules on fiscal responsibilty. The opposition plan action, but how will this play out?
