Miklós Haraszti

He graduated from Budapest University in Hungarian Language and Philosophy. Haraszti has played a significant role Hungary's recent history, specifically in its transition from communism to democracy, beginning in 1976 when he co-founded the Hungarian Democratic Opposition Movement. During the 1980s he served as editor of the underground periodical Beszélo. His first novel, A Worker in a Worker's State, published in 1983, was blacklisted by the Hungarian government.

In 1989, Harass took part in the "roundtable" discussions which led to the introduction of free elections in Hungary.  The following year he became a member of the Hungarian Parliament. In 1994, he then gave up his role as politician and began lecturing on democratization and media politics at several universities. In 2004, he was named the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, a position which he held for three years.

His books, including A Worker in a Worker's State and The Velvet Prison: Artists Under State Socialism (1987), have been  translated into many languages. At present Haraszti is working on a volume of memoires and lecturing at the University of California's Budapest Study Center.