English Books & Literature

Hello, we are starting SU&W at Scouts Institute this Sunday! Please find us at a table across from the cafe. The event starts at 12, and the writing starts at 12:15! We will have 45 minutes of writing, followed by a 15 minute break. Then another 45 minutes of writing. Please purchase something to support the cafe and the space ☺️ Follow us on Whatsapp! https://chat.whatsapp.com/HeZDsZNFD8BKn8JohRlbkI

This month we bring you a seminar from the host of Prague's famous Cafe Philo, Albert Hoffman, entitled **“Paths in the Wood”**. In this seminar, we'll be exploring **the later writings of Martin Heidegger** where he explores **our relationship to time, connection to place, and the very question of what it means to exist**. The relationship between Heidegger and the Black Forest in south-western Germany, the landscape in which he produced many of his most famous works, was one of intense emotional and intellectual intimacy. From the small, three-room cabin–which he affectionately called "die Hütte”-- **the forest becomes a strong metaphor for a way of thinking that moves more slowly and attentively than the technological mindset of modernity.** Heidegger’s later philosophy shifts away from the technical language of Being and Time toward a more meditative style of thinking. **What does it mean to “dwell”? Why does Heidegger so often write about forests, paths, clearings, and huts? And what might these metaphors reveal about his critique of modern technological society?** Whether you are new to Heidegger or already familiar with his work, join us for a discussion of how philosophy can help us reconsider our relationship to nature, place, and the way we inhabit the world. \*\*\* We’ll have tea and light snacks, but please feel free to bring any drink or snack you’d like to share! This event will be hosted in an apartment with a well-trained dog who will be happy to meet you. If anyone has concerns about dogs, let me know so I can be mindful about keeping her from bothering you. The buzzer is Everett and Mainous—we’re on the 5th floor, apartment 16.

Who can attend this meetup: The tour is an introduction to Prague and is mainly for expats and visitors to our city but everybody who would like to join is invited. ***Important***, please also fill in the booking form on our [website](https://freewalkingtourprague.eu/en/schedule) if you are planning to come (otherwise we will not expect you). Description: Meet us by the Powder Tower, the historical gate to the Old Town and starting point of the Royal Route. Then have an educative walk through the narrow and picturesque streets of the historical center of Prague. Enjoy the unique diversity of architectural styles from Gothic to Art Nouveau. See some of the most interesting sites and get to know fascinating facts and legends of the 1000-year old capital of Bohemia. End the tour at the riverside 5 minutes away from the Charles Bridge, from which you can continue the tour on your own (or again with us) towards Malá Strana or Prague Castle. ====== Meeting point: We will be standing by the Powder Tower at the side of the Namestí Republiky square with a green umbrella in hand :) Map: https://goo.gl/maps/tzqKpZ2945S2 Price: there is no fixed price, you will be able to decide yourself how much you value the tour. If you don't know how much is best (and can afford it) we recommend 200Kč, but it really depends on you how much you contribute. Join us also on our [Facebook profile](https://www.facebook.com/freewalkingtoursprague/) :) and if you are travelling to other cities check out our friends at the [Free Tour Community website](https://freetourcommunity.com/). For any questions, please contact us at info@freewalkingtourprague.eu. Unfortunately, the meetup application does not always send us phone notifications. Reminder - only people who booked on our [official free walking tour website](https://freewalkingtourprague.eu/en/schedule) can join the tour and if the tour shows fully booked on the website it means there are no free spots. The meetup list doesn't count in this case. We look forward to meeting you, Michal, Amanda, Lana, Iva & Chris

Let's play badminton at Sports Centre Olšanka. We'll meet at 10.40 and play for 60 minutes. If you have a Multisport card please bring it along, as it will make the court free for you and also reduce the cost for others. If you don't have a Multisport card the game will cost you a maximum of 150 crowns, probably much less. I will cover the cost of the court so please bring cash to pay me. There is a small organisation fee of 20 crowns for all players to participate in this event. Racquets can be rented for 50 crowns.

*** **Description** Join us for the very first Pure Tea Tasting Prague event! Discover unique teas, meet fellow tea lovers, and enjoy a relaxing evening focused on wellness and mindful living. **What to Expect:** * Guided tasting of premium pure teas (including vegan and wellness-focused options) * Introduction to tea rituals and culture * Friendly conversation and community networking * Light healthy snacks **Agenda:** * 17:00 – Welcome & introductions * 17:15 – Tea tasting session (multiple varieties) * 18:15 – Open discussion, Q&A, and social time * 19:00 – Event close **What to Bring:** * Just your curiosity and good mood! All tea and snacks are provided. **Location:** Pure Spa, Le Palais Art Hotel, Prague (Details and directions will be sent after RSVP.) **Who Should Join:** Anyone interested in tea, wellness, or making new friends in Prague. All experience levels welcome! ***

Looking to meet new people and enjoy a relaxed day full of board games? Join us at Palmovka for a cozy board-gaming meet-up open to everyone — beginners, casual players, and experienced gamers! We have a big selection of games, from easy social titles to strategic favourites. You can come alone or with friends — our community is super friendly, and we always make sure nobody sits alone. Don’t worry if you don’t know the rules — we’ll happily explain everything. ✔ Friendly atmosphere ✔ Lots of games to choose from ✔ Perfect for meeting new people ✔ Come anytime during the day ✔ No registration needed entry fee 50czk (no hour limit) if you do not order anything at bar it is 100czk. Whether you want to laugh, think, or just relax after a long day, this is the perfect place to unwind and connect with others. See you at Palmovka – let’s play!

**6-a-side Football** practice at Pražačka Football artificial grass pitch. Maximum of 36 participants for 6 teams of 6. **Kick off at 12h00**. Everybody is welcome, no age, gender nor any restriction of any type to join. Cost: **90 crowns**. Please send the money using the **QR Code** stored here: https://imgur.com/a/PjU32Fi In case of any Opt-out within 24h of the session, or no show, the payment will be due (you still can ask someone to come instead of you, as your spot will be booked)

Who can attend this meetup: The tour is an introduction to Prague and is mainly for expats and visitors to our city but everybody who would like to join is invited. ***Important***, please also fill in the booking form on our [website](https://freewalkingtourprague.eu/en/schedule) if you are planning to come (otherwise we will not expect you). Description: Meet us by the Powder Tower, the historical gate to the Old Town and starting point of the Royal Route. Then have an educative walk through the narrow and picturesque streets of the historical center of Prague. Enjoy the unique diversity of architectural styles from Gothic to Art Nouveau. See some of the most interesting sites and get to know fascinating facts and legends of the 1000-year old capital of Bohemia. End the tour at the riverside 5 minutes away from the Charles Bridge, from which you can continue the tour on your own (or again with us) towards Malá Strana or Prague Castle. ====== Meeting point: We will be standing by the Powder Tower at the side of the Namestí Republiky square with a green umbrella in hand :) Map: https://goo.gl/maps/tzqKpZ2945S2 Price: there is no fixed price, you will be able to decide yourself how much you value the tour. If you don't know how much is best (and can afford it) we recommend 200Kč, but it really depends on you how much you contribute. Join us also on our [Facebook profile](https://www.facebook.com/freewalkingtoursprague/) :) and if you are travelling to other cities check out our friends at the [Free Tour Community website](https://freetourcommunity.com/). For any questions, please contact us at info@freewalkingtourprague.eu. Unfortunately, the meetup application does not always send us phone notifications. Reminder - only people who booked on our [official free walking tour website](https://freewalkingtourprague.eu/en/schedule) can join the tour and if the tour shows fully booked on the website it means there are no free spots. The meetup list doesn't count in this case. We look forward to meeting you, Michal, Amanda, Lana, Iva & Chris

Let's play badminton at Sports Centre Olšanka. We'll meet at 10.40 and play for 60 minutes. If you have a Multisport card please bring it along, as it will make the court free for you and also reduce the cost for others. If you don't have a Multisport card the game will cost you a maximum of 150 crowns, probably much less. I will cover the cost of the court so please bring cash to pay me. There is a small organisation fee of 20 crowns for all players to participate in this event. Racquets can be rented for 50 crowns.

*** **Description** Join us for the very first Pure Tea Tasting Prague event! Discover unique teas, meet fellow tea lovers, and enjoy a relaxing evening focused on wellness and mindful living. **What to Expect:** * Guided tasting of premium pure teas (including vegan and wellness-focused options) * Introduction to tea rituals and culture * Friendly conversation and community networking * Light healthy snacks **Agenda:** * 17:00 – Welcome & introductions * 17:15 – Tea tasting session (multiple varieties) * 18:15 – Open discussion, Q&A, and social time * 19:00 – Event close **What to Bring:** * Just your curiosity and good mood! All tea and snacks are provided. **Location:** Pure Spa, Le Palais Art Hotel, Prague (Details and directions will be sent after RSVP.) **Who Should Join:** Anyone interested in tea, wellness, or making new friends in Prague. All experience levels welcome! ***

Looking to meet new people and enjoy a relaxed day full of board games? Join us at Palmovka for a cozy board-gaming meet-up open to everyone — beginners, casual players, and experienced gamers! We have a big selection of games, from easy social titles to strategic favourites. You can come alone or with friends — our community is super friendly, and we always make sure nobody sits alone. Don’t worry if you don’t know the rules — we’ll happily explain everything. ✔ Friendly atmosphere ✔ Lots of games to choose from ✔ Perfect for meeting new people ✔ Come anytime during the day ✔ No registration needed entry fee 50czk (no hour limit) if you do not order anything at bar it is 100czk. Whether you want to laugh, think, or just relax after a long day, this is the perfect place to unwind and connect with others. See you at Palmovka – let’s play!

**6-a-side Football** practice at Pražačka Football artificial grass pitch. Maximum of 36 participants for 6 teams of 6. **Kick off at 12h00**. Everybody is welcome, no age, gender nor any restriction of any type to join. Cost: **90 crowns**. Please send the money using the **QR Code** stored here: https://imgur.com/a/PjU32Fi In case of any Opt-out within 24h of the session, or no show, the payment will be due (you still can ask someone to come instead of you, as your spot will be booked)

1ST OFF TRAIL OPEN 2026 I’m inviting you for an off-road ride on gravel roads and forest trails near Prague. Bought an adventure bike and not sure what to do with it next? Then you’re in the right place. As part of Off Trail Tours, I’m organizing 4 open rides for the public to share my passion for off-road riding. ... 🟢 **MORE ABOUT OFF TRAIL TOURS** [https://offtrailtours.eu/](https://offtrailtours.eu/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExWUVMOE9sQXR4UDZVZkVJOHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6FkQAVs5krzbaHpG-zZsJuy-0wntoiyhSCFQp7dv7sPtXYYC75TF-3O6uzmQ_aem_6f8hSnqTD79o2Qr91lVeZg) ... 🏍️ **MOTORCYCLE RENTAL** It is now also possible to rent a motorcycle. Ideal if you want to try whether this kind of riding is for you. A valid motorcycle driving licence is required. ... 🧭 **ROUTE** We will ride from Štěchovice to Hříměždice. Expect around 80 km, mostly off-road, with a few small river crossings, some climbs, technical sections, and other fun parts. No worries — the route is not overly difficult, but you should be comfortable standing on the pegs and have basic awareness of off-road riding. ... 📍 **MEETING POINT** MOL gas station in Štěchovice. Please arrive on time. We depart at 10:00. ... 🔥 **THE CHERRY ON TOP** First, there’s an option for lunch at a local pub if you’re hungry (not included in the price) — and trust me, you will be. If the weather allows, there’s also the option to jump into the water from up to 10 meters at a nearby quarry — perfect in summer. It all depends on the group agreement. We can also skip lunch and swimming and ride the whole day. ... 🫰 **ITINERARY** 09:30 – 10:00 / Meeting 10:00 – 13:00 / 1ST riding section 13:00 – 14:00 / Break (lunch / snack) 14:00 – 15:00 / Swimming (by agreement) 15:00 – 18:00 / 2ND riding section ... 💰 **ENTRY FEE** 500 CZK The price includes a full-day guided ride, and as a bonus you’ll receive GPX track files for your future rides. ... ✌️ **CAPACITY** 5 riders Please register in advance. ... **🗓️ UPCOMING RIDES** 1st ride / 19. 4. 2026 2nd ride / 7. 6. 2026 3rd ride / 9. 8. 2026 4th ride / 20. 9. 2026

Imagine spending a full week in nature with 20 people deeply focused on AI agents. We have 15 people already registered via personal connections Top experts. Up to 5 days of workation. 📅 April 19–23 (Sunday–Thursday) 📍 Šťastná Samota (≈1 hour from Prague) This is not a conference. No lecture halls. No passive listening. 🌿 Instead: → hands-on building with AI → agentic systems in practice → real applications, real outputs You’ll have space to think, create, and work intensely on things that actually matter. *** I’ll be there from **Sunday to Tuesday** as part of the organizing team. We’ll be pushing forward what it really means to work with AI today — especially in the context of: → AI agents → automation → Software 3.0 This is a place where you actually **touch, test, and build** — not just talk. *** ### Open Workshop Days (also available separately) 🎨 **AI Creative Day (Tuesday)** Work with images, video, voice, and marketing using AI — fully hands-on. 💻 **AI Vibe Coding Day (Wednesday)** Go from idea to your own web app in one day — even if you don’t code. *** ### What makes this different? → You build → You test → You discuss with people who take this seriously And in the evenings: 🔥 BBQ, fire, real conversations, meaningful networking *** If you’re interested in the future of AI, agentic systems, or you simply want to step out of your routine and actually create something — this is for you. ⚠️ Capacity is limited (\~20 people per day) *** 🎟 Use my discount code **JAKUB20** for **20% off** 4 900 Kč/day · 2 days 7 840 Kč (I’ll be there Sunday–Tuesday) *** 👉 Registration: AI Creative Day: [https://lnkd.in/dPakcg5s](https://lnkd.in/dPakcg5s) AI Vibe Coding Day: [https://lnkd.in/dhZVvBgP](https://lnkd.in/dhZVvBgP) Full retreat: [https://lnkd.in/dDPQjBav](https://lnkd.in/dDPQjBav) *** Feel free to message me — even if you want to join just for part of a day. We’ll figure it out. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Welcome, readers! Our April read is **_Martyr!_ by Kaveh Akbar.** The story follows a young Iranian American poet grappling with grief, addiction, and the aching question of what makes a life meaningful. Drawn into an unexpected friendship with a terminally ill artist, he begins to confront faith, love, and the seduction of self-destruction. Lyrical, darkly funny, and emotionally piercing, the novel wrestles with beauty and despair in equal measure. It’s a story about longing—to be seen, to be forgiven, and to matter. Looking forward to discussing with everyone! We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖

Posting this early because seemingly all Sundays in May are holidays or busy! I picked a shorter thriller that's hopefully a fast read/listen. [Columbus library link to book](https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S105C3458940) Location: Grandview Cafe, *1455 W. 3rd Ave*, Columbus, OH 43212 [Menu](https://www.grandviewcafe.com/menu) Book summary: Daniel leads a rich life in the university town of Athens, Georgia. He's got a couple close friends, a steady paycheck working for a regional airline, and of course, for a few glorious days each Fall, college football tailgates. He considers himself to be a mostly lucky guy -- despite the fact that he's suffered from a debilitating disease since he was a small child, one that has left him unable to speak or to move without a wheelchair. Largely confined to his home, Daniel spends the hours he's not online communicating with irate air travelers observing his neighborhood from his front porch. One young woman passes by so frequently that spotting her out the window has almost become part of his daily routine. Until the day he's almost sure he sees her being kidnapped.

Semi in honor of March being International Women's Month Columbus libraries: [https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S105C3454709](https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S105C3454709) Location: SOW Plated Menu: [https://www.sowplated.com/menu-brunch/](https://www.sowplated.com/menu-brunch/) Book summary: In 2006 Julia Lerner is living in Moscow, a recent university graduate in computer science, when she's recruited by Russia's largest intelligence agency. By 2018 she's in Silicon Valley as COO of Tangerine, one of America's most famous technology companies. In between her executive management (make offers to promising startups, crush them and copy their features if they refuse); self promotion (check out her latest op-ed in the WSJ, on Work/Life Balance 2.0); and work in gender equality (transfer the most annoying females from her team), she funnels intelligence back to the motherland. But now Russia's asking for more, and Julia's getting nervous. Alice Lu is a first generation Chinese American whose parents are delighted she's working at Tangerine (such a successful company!). Too bad she's slogging away in the lower echelons, recently dumped, and now sharing her expensive two-bedroom apartment with her cousin Cheri, a perennial "founder's girlfriend". One afternoon, while performing a server check, Alice discovers some unusual activity, and now she's burdened with two powerful but distressing suspicions: Tangerine's privacy settings aren't as rigorous as the company claims they are, and the person abusing this loophole might be Julia Lerner herself. The closer Alice gets to Julia, the more Julia questions her own loyalties. Russia may have placed her in the Valley, but she's the one who built her career; isn't she entitled to protect the lifestyle she's earned?

Let’s meet and share our thoughts about Carson McCullers’ novella, The Ballad of The Sad Café.

This month we’ll be reading Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb. Feel free to come even if you don’t finish the book!

Love getting lost in a good book? [The Book Loft](https://www.bookloft.com/) of German Village is an iconic independent bookstore packed with hard-to-find literary treasures! This isn’t your run-of-the-mill bookstore; it’s a 32-room literary wonderland that would make even the most seasoned bibliophile’s head spin (one of the largest in the country)! **MEET**: We'll gather outside the storefront and then start browsing... **DESSERT**: We'll grab some famous macaroons to start our foodie tour. [Pistacia Vera](https://www.pistaciavera.com/) is a delicious bakery and cafe in the German Village. This charming shop is especially known for its classic macarons. **HAPPY HOUR**: Italian drinks and bites at [Cento's happy hour](https://centogermanvillage.com/menus/). **PARKING**: Street parking all around here. Check the parking time limit. The bookstore and the foodie stops are all on 3rd Street within 4 blocks on the same side of the street.

Join us for our April Book Club gathering where we will come together to discuss *[Stop Me if You've Heard This One](https://www.kristenarnettwriter.com/stopmeifyouveheardthisone)* by [Kristen Arnett](https://www.kristenarnettwriter.com/about) in a safe and welcoming environment. Make new friends who share your passion for books and connect with fellow LGBTQ book enthusiasts.