Den byl pro mě krátkej (Not Enough Hours in the Day)

She grew up in the centre of Stalinist Prague. As a child, she lit gas lamps on Charles Bridge, washed clothes in the Vltava River, and went to fetch milk with a can. During her returns to Eastern Slovakia, where she was born during the war, she experienced family togetherness and the unforgettable atmosphere of storytelling and musical gatherings. She learned to respect the traditions of her ancestors and tirelessly passed them on for decades.

Romani icon Olga Fečová presents her life in a book that tells the story of the Roma in Czechoslovakia based on her individual fate. In straightforward language, she captures her experiences with the unique inhabitants of a vanished world of traditional settlements, Old Town balconies, and makeshift colonies in the borderlands, while at the same time revealing her intellectual horizons. Gradually, a portrait of a strong personality crystallizes before us, a woman with indomitable energy who, thanks to her principledness and altruism, was a magnetic authority for entire generations of Roma.

This book has been published thanks to the kind financial support of the Czech-German Future Fund, The City of Prague and Bader Philanthropies, Inc.