Stories from the stands

Right under the roof of the stands at the Na Julisce stadium, in a glass-enclosed space with a breathtaking view, a series of unique meetings took place throughout the 2012/2013 season. The writer Zuzana Maléřová invited leading artists and representatives of the Dukla football club for intimate conversations about life, human endeavour, suffering, happiness, and self-discovery. Her guests included, for example, the singer Marta Kubišová and the actors Naďa Konvalinková, Jana Synková, Táňa Fischerová, Barbora Srncová, and Stanislav Zindulka. From Dukla, the invitation was accepted by, among others, Luboš Kozel, Patrik Gedeon, Petr Kostelník, Michal Kolomazník, Petr Malý, Tomáš Berger, Günter Bittengel, Ivan Lietava, and others.

Milan Švihálek wrote in the afterword: “Stories from the Stands is a book whose stage is sport. However, it is not a narrative from which we can glean information about the result of a match or how someone miraculously saved a penalty. But Ota Pavel didn't write about goals, points, and seconds either, but about life. I don’t want to be overly sentimental, but I am convinced that Zuzana Maléřová is Ota Pavel in a skirt. Her ability to empathise with often very winding life stories is immeasurable. She formulates her narratives with humility, plainly, simply, and with Wallachian tenacity. She works with short sentences. Her concise style is reminiscent of a village lad hammering in nails. But right from the first few sentences, one recognises wisdom, consideration, and talent.”

An important part of the book are the photographs by Vlado Bohdan, with graphic design by Filip Skalák.