He was born in Prague on the Lesser Side. As a four-year-old, he moved with his parents to Ostruhová (today's Neruda) Street. After graduating, he studied law, but when his father died, he had to take care of the family, so he started writing for newspapers. He remained a journalist until the end of his life. The stories of Malostranska breathe the poetry of old Prague. The humanity and variety of the stories is breathtaking, and it's surprising how the book sounds at the same time. No wonder, it was written by none other than Jan Neruda.