Editing Prague Spring (section)

===1967 Writers' Congress===
As the strict regime eased its rules, the ''Union of Czechoslovak Writers'' ({{langx|cs|Svaz československých spisovatelů}}) cautiously began to air discontent. In ''[[Literární noviny]]'', the union's previously hard-line communist weekly, members suggested that literature should be independent of the Communist Party doctrine.<ref name="Williams55"/>

In June 1967, a small fraction of the union sympathized with radical socialists, especially [[Ludvík Vaculík]], [[Milan Kundera]], [[Jan Procházka (writer)|Jan Procházka]], [[Antonín Jaroslav Liehm]], [[Pavel Kohout]] and [[Ivan Klíma]].<ref name="Williams55"/>

A few months later, at a meeting of Party leaders, it was decided that administrative actions against the writers who openly expressed support of reformation would be taken. Since only a small group of the union held these beliefs, the remaining members were relied upon to discipline their colleagues.<ref name="Williams55"/> Control over ''Literární noviny'' and several other publishers was transferred to the Ministry of Culture,<ref name="Williams55"/> and even some leaders of the Party who later became major reformers—including Dubček—endorsed these moves.<ref name="Williams55">Williams (1997), p. 55</ref>