Born in Bratislava in 1957, Martin M. Šimečka is a renowned writer and journalist who has made a career in both Slovak and Czech publications. Initially a contributor to samizdat reviews until the Velvet Revolution of 1989, he became editor in chief of Slovakian daily SME in 1997. During his nine year editoriship, SME, highly critical of the new Slovakian state, became a national reference. Former editor in chief of Respekt, he currently works at Dennik N.