The Spirit of Pankrác

A declaration of love in the shadow of death

In the cells of Pankrác, prisoners listen to the pounding of workmen’s tools beyond their windows: a guillotine is under construction. Anna and Robert, both condemned to death, have never met. All that connects them are a few fleeting glances and an endless desire for love. For this, they need but a scrap of paper and a pencil. In the oppressive atmosphere of the prison, by secret notes, they pass on fragments of themselves – memories, hopes, tenderness. Though they know that time is running out, words ignite between them, like flames in darkness. The story is complemented by unsung heroes, notably a warder who delivers messages and a family living beside the crematory in the Prague district of Strašnice who hide the ashes of the executed.

This novel is based on real-life memoirs written on death row. The author brings forgotten voices to life with a deep empathy, showing that love is possible even at moments of utmost difficulty. The book includes this afterword by the author.

‘I consider this book a prequel to the novel By the North Wall,’ says the author. ‘The connection is made not by the characters but by fateful happenings in a single place, the Pankrác axe-room. They remained in my thoughts along with other stories that didn’t fit in the previous book. I decided to return to these stories and tell them. Many hundreds of secret notes written within minutes of death express the wish that we should never forget. Last wishes must be honoured.’