Literary Self-Discovery Seminar

What the seminar is about

For many people, reading serious books is tied to school memorisation, and they see it either as an assignment or as pure entertainment. But what if it's possible to read a book for yourself, to better understand your own feelings, thoughts, opinions and values?

The seminar connects literary analysis with personal reflection: it isn't about searching for "scientific answers", but about creating space for a deeper understanding of both the texts and ourselves. I've chosen a very diverse set of books, with stories by authors from different countries and continents, written in different linguistic, social and historical contexts. It's precisely this diversity that lets us look at a person from many angles and discover what resonates with us, what appeals to us, what repels us, what irritates us, and through that, come to know ourselves better.

An integral part of the seminar is working with your own thoughts, cultivating your thinking and expanding your knowledge. I have the impression that this gets forgotten in many personal-development seminars today.

Six books, six lessons

Through this selection we'll visit America's Roaring Twenties, watch Hitler's rise to power unfold through letters, spend time in the Siberian taiga with people who lived there as hermits, travel to Nigeria, go back to the period after the death of Jesus of Nazareth, and see just how far religious or Nazi fanaticism can go. We'll compare all of it with the present day.

• K. Kressmann Taylor: Address Unknown
• Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Purple Hibiscus
• Kahlil Gibran: Jesus, the Son of Man
• Vasily Peskov: Lost in the Taiga
• Annie Ernaux: A Man's Place
• F. S. Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby

Who the seminar is for

The seminar is open to anyone aged 16 and up with an interest in creative reading combined with reflection and self-reflection. It can also be useful preparation for school-leaving exams or university admissions in literature-related fields, but its main focus is the experience and self-reflection that come from a book, here and now.

All the books are fairly short and can be read within a week, in the time between lessons. They are all available in English translation and can be bought or borrowed from a library. Reading the book is recommended rather than required; excerpts will also be provided.

Sign-up and payment

To sign up, send an email to stehlikova.monika@seznam.cz with the subject line: "Literary Self-Discovery Seminar from 14 Oct 2026".

The account number for payment is 1475320010/3030, variable symbol 14102026.

Cancellation policy: if you cancel at least 14 days before the start date, you'll receive a full refund. After that, you can always use the full amount towards another course, or send a substitute in your place.