Miroslav Wanek
(Už Jsme Doma, CZ)
Miroslav Wanek is a Czech lyricist, poet, composer, musician, and educator.
Music
In 1981, he founded FPB, one of the first—and according to critics, one of the finest—Czech (Czechoslovak) punk bands. In 1985, he joined the group Už jsme doma, shaping its artistic direction and, thanks to his connections with the Jazz Section, helping introduce the band to the Czech scene and later to audiences across Europe and worldwide. He also briefly performed with the Teplice-based band Divize T.
Over more than 40 years of existence, Už jsme doma has toured in over 47 countries, performing more than 3,500 concerts. The band has released eight studio albums, several DVDs, and their music has appeared on dozens of compilations worldwide.
Miroslav Wanek’s music has also been featured in several films, including Fimfárum, The Magical Bell, and Buttoners. For his work on Fimfárum by Jan Werich, he was nominated for the Czech Lion Award. He is also the composer and co-author of the screenplay for the animated TV series Krysáci (26 episodes), produced by Czech Television.
The band has collaborated and toured with numerous international artists, most notably the anonymous American avant-garde group The Residents, with whom they also recorded a joint album.
Literature & Academic Work
He is the author of the poetic work Máj (2010) and the book Výlov šuplíka (2012), which combines interviews, lyrics, and archival material.
Wanek has taught at Tomas Bata University, at the Film School in Zlín, and at FAMU in Prague. He regularly gives lectures at Charles University for international students, focusing on music of the 1980s and 1990s, and also presents travel and historical lectures both in the Czech Republic and abroad.
Public Engagement
Miroslav Wanek has never been a member of any political party. However, even before the Velvet Revolution, he co-published the samizdat magazine PAKO as a member of the Pataphysical College in Teplice and founded FiLiPo (Philosophy, Literature, Politics). He organized numerous unofficial exhibitions and happenings.
In November 1989, he actively participated in demonstrations in Teplice and soon after became the first spokesperson of the newly formed Civic Forum in the city, where he was responsible for culture and police matters. He served as one of three regional spokespersons for Teplice until the first free elections in 1990.
Over the past three decades, he has remained publicly engaged, speaking out on political and social issues and performing—both with his band and independently—in support of various causes, including Kurdish communities in Iraq, Karel Schwarzenberg’s presidential campaign, refugees from war zones, the Million Moments movement, and more recently, support for Ukraine in response to Russian aggression. Themes of migration and human indifference to suffering are also reflected in Už jsme doma’s latest studio album, Kry.
Speaking in: Keynote Interview: Miroslav Wanek in conversation with Mário Gešvantner | Friday, 24 April | 16:00 – 17:00 | Library