Acknowledgements

This publication is a culmination of my earlier research into the pragmalinguistic features of live text commentary over the past ten years. While my previous studies dealt with such diverse phenomena as coherence, humour, and orality, this book defines the newly emerging genre in all its complexity, mapping its textual format with a view to the highly specific interactional arrangement that involves the readers as partial co-authors of the text.

I would like to thank a number of scholars who provided invaluable feedback to me over the past decade at many international conferences and during several brief research/teaching stays abroad (Duke University, North Carolina State University, University of Orebrö, University of Innsbruck, University of Regensburg, University of Munich, University of Siegen), as well as the members of the Ross Priory Broadcast Talk group. Discussions with them over many aspects of live text commentaries provided a much needed stimulation to develop my thinking on the whole issue.

I would like to thank my academic mentor, Professor Ludmila Urbanová, for her encouragement, help and long-time belief in the merits of my work. I am also very thankful for many useful suggestions made by Professor Greg Myers (University of Lancaster), Professor Hans Sauer (University of Munich) and Professor Aleš Klégr (Charles University of Prague), who kindly reviewed an earlier version of this book that was submitted for my habilitation proceedings in 2015.

The biggest thanks, however, go to my family for their endless patience and for bearing with me throughout the many years spent on this project. Without their support and understanding, I would hardly have been able to bring the whole project to its meaningful end. It is to them that the work is dedicated.

The author gratefully acknowledges the permission granted to reproduce the copyright material in this book. All the material and screenshots are reprinted with the permission of the Guardian newspaper. The photographs are reprinted with permission from the copyright holders. Every effort has been made to contact and acknowledge copyright holders but if any errors remain we would be happy to correct them at a later printing.