Ian Willoughby
@ianwilloughby.bsky.social
Irish journalist, and Czech citizen, resident in Prague. Contact me at ianrwilloughby@gmail.com
Photos from my In Conversation With… with Zhanna Nemtsova — one of the best guests to date — at the Václav Havel Library yesterday evening.
📸 Ondřej Němec, VHL
📸 Ondřej Němec, VHL
October 14, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Photos from my In Conversation With… with Zhanna Nemtsova — one of the best guests to date — at the Václav Havel Library yesterday evening.
📸 Ondřej Němec, VHL
📸 Ondřej Němec, VHL
I am hosting a talk after a screening of this documentary on Friday within the Press Play Prague festival. Speakers will be RFE/RL journalists Vladyslav Yesypenko, who the film is about, and Alsu Kurmasheva, who was also imprisoned in Russia. Details: www.kinoatlaspraha.cz?program=6050
October 7, 2025 at 5:26 AM
I am hosting a talk after a screening of this documentary on Friday within the Press Play Prague festival. Speakers will be RFE/RL journalists Vladyslav Yesypenko, who the film is about, and Alsu Kurmasheva, who was also imprisoned in Russia. Details: www.kinoatlaspraha.cz?program=6050
My own personal moment of the day yesterday was when the host on France24 referred to my podcast! In fact the first time he mentioned it — quoting something about Babiš in an earlier interview — I was so surprised that I almost forgot what I wanted to say!
October 5, 2025 at 8:04 AM
My own personal moment of the day yesterday was when the host on France24 referred to my podcast! In fact the first time he mentioned it — quoting something about Babiš in an earlier interview — I was so surprised that I almost forgot what I wanted to say!
Today I had a great chat with Karel Kovář, AKA Kovy, influencer supreme and lovely fella. Interview coming soon on Radio Prague International!
August 20, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Today I had a great chat with Karel Kovář, AKA Kovy, influencer supreme and lovely fella. Interview coming soon on Radio Prague International!
Writer-director Ondřej Provazník is on the cover of Respekt with the lead actors from his incredible new film Sbormistr/Broken Voices, for which I did the subtitles. The movie is in the main competition at Karlovy Vary IFF and gets its world premiere a fortnight from today.
June 22, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Writer-director Ondřej Provazník is on the cover of Respekt with the lead actors from his incredible new film Sbormistr/Broken Voices, for which I did the subtitles. The movie is in the main competition at Karlovy Vary IFF and gets its world premiere a fortnight from today.
Halfway through my interview today with director Ondřej Provazník Pixie started barking at some guy doing weird exercises in the park. But I will cut that bit out and my interview with Ondřej on his brilliant new film Sbormistr/Broken Voices will go out, bark-free, in a couple of weeks!
June 20, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Halfway through my interview today with director Ondřej Provazník Pixie started barking at some guy doing weird exercises in the park. But I will cut that bit out and my interview with Ondřej on his brilliant new film Sbormistr/Broken Voices will go out, bark-free, in a couple of weeks!
Tomorrow evening I will be moderating the launch of the English version of Romany writer Patrik Banga's memoir The True Way Out at the Globe in Prague. Come!
Details: facebook.com/events/s/boo...
Details: facebook.com/events/s/boo...
June 11, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Tomorrow evening I will be moderating the launch of the English version of Romany writer Patrik Banga's memoir The True Way Out at the Globe in Prague. Come!
Details: facebook.com/events/s/boo...
Details: facebook.com/events/s/boo...
Eighty-three years ago on this day, these young heroes, Jan Kubiš and Jozef Gabčík, carried out an operation to assassinate Nazi governor Reinhard Heydrich in Prague, one of the most daring moves of WWII. Glory to their memories. 🇨🇿🕯️
May 27, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Eighty-three years ago on this day, these young heroes, Jan Kubiš and Jozef Gabčík, carried out an operation to assassinate Nazi governor Reinhard Heydrich in Prague, one of the most daring moves of WWII. Glory to their memories. 🇨🇿🕯️
RIP Marcel Ophüls. I had the privilege of interviewing the great French documentarian at @jihlava_idff in 2017 and he was a lovely old gent with a real spark in his eyes.
May 26, 2025 at 8:20 AM
RIP Marcel Ophüls. I had the privilege of interviewing the great French documentarian at @jihlava_idff in 2017 and he was a lovely old gent with a real spark in his eyes.
It's 20 years today since the greatest football game I have ever seen, the Miracle of Istanbul!
May 25, 2025 at 6:45 AM
It's 20 years today since the greatest football game I have ever seen, the Miracle of Istanbul!
Not new but still good to see -- on Panská in Prague
May 23, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Not new but still good to see -- on Panská in Prague
Yesterday I got to moderate a Q&A at Světozor with the lovely Markéta Irglová and Glen Hansard about her documentary on the making of the new Swell Season LP Forward – and then to see them play a brilliant show a couple of hours later at Forum Karlín. What a day!
May 22, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Yesterday I got to moderate a Q&A at Světozor with the lovely Markéta Irglová and Glen Hansard about her documentary on the making of the new Swell Season LP Forward – and then to see them play a brilliant show a couple of hours later at Forum Karlín. What a day!
At the weekend author Dan Brown posted a pic of himself in Prague. His forthcoming book The Secret of Secrets is set in the city and I have heard he may be here again around its launch in September.
May 20, 2025 at 7:19 AM
At the weekend author Dan Brown posted a pic of himself in Prague. His forthcoming book The Secret of Secrets is set in the city and I have heard he may be here again around its launch in September.
This is pretty funny if you know Czech swear words 😂
May 19, 2025 at 5:16 PM
This is pretty funny if you know Czech swear words 😂
Some photos from the In Conversation With... with Czech Philharmonic chief conductor Semyon Bychkov at Prague's Václav Havel Library last night. The maestro was charming, thoughtful and super interesting, as can be seen in this video of our talk: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRlk...
📸Ondřej Němec
📸Ondřej Němec
May 15, 2025 at 7:50 AM
Some photos from the In Conversation With... with Czech Philharmonic chief conductor Semyon Bychkov at Prague's Václav Havel Library last night. The maestro was charming, thoughtful and super interesting, as can be seen in this video of our talk: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRlk...
📸Ondřej Němec
📸Ondřej Němec
This very special edition of In Conversation With... at Prague's Václav Havel Library is this evening!
May 14, 2025 at 7:56 AM
This very special edition of In Conversation With... at Prague's Václav Havel Library is this evening!
Happy 75th birthday to Gabriel Byrne, a cool handsome Irish movie star before that was common!
May 12, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Happy 75th birthday to Gabriel Byrne, a cool handsome Irish movie star before that was common!
ICYMI laser beams were projected from the Žižkov TV tower in Prague on Thursday in connection with the 80th anniversary of VE Day
📸 Prague 3
📸 Prague 3
May 10, 2025 at 5:26 PM
ICYMI laser beams were projected from the Žižkov TV tower in Prague on Thursday in connection with the 80th anniversary of VE Day
📸 Prague 3
📸 Prague 3
Man this new pope gets better and better — he stands up to Trump AND he knows Brno!
May 9, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Man this new pope gets better and better — he stands up to Trump AND he knows Brno!
Maybe the new guy is going to be ok
May 8, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Maybe the new guy is going to be ok
Jiří Bartoška was also one of the founders of Civic Forum during the Velvet Revolution. It was he who announced that Václav Havel was standing for president of Czechoslovakia, on 10.12.1989.
May 8, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Jiří Bartoška was also one of the founders of Civic Forum during the Velvet Revolution. It was he who announced that Václav Havel was standing for president of Czechoslovakia, on 10.12.1989.
Actor and president of the Karlovy Vary IFF Jiří Bartoška has died at the age of 78. With artistic director Eva Zaoralová he made KVIFF what it is today. RIP.
May 8, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Actor and president of the Karlovy Vary IFF Jiří Bartoška has died at the age of 78. With artistic director Eva Zaoralová he made KVIFF what it is today. RIP.
Poster for Caravan, the first Czech film in over 30 years to compete at Cannes (Un Certain Regard), seen as a very big deal among the local film community. Zuzana Kirchnerová’s feature-length debut gets its world premiere on May 22.
May 8, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Poster for Caravan, the first Czech film in over 30 years to compete at Cannes (Un Certain Regard), seen as a very big deal among the local film community. Zuzana Kirchnerová’s feature-length debut gets its world premiere on May 22.
“You, Flock of Seagulls”
May 8, 2025 at 5:59 AM
“You, Flock of Seagulls”