) was a Czech

Czech people

Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...

 writer.

After gymnasium

Gymnasium (school)

A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...

 he was not allowed by the regime to study at the university. He worked in several professions and later used this experience in his writings. Later, when the political obstacles were reduced he started to study medicine at the Charles University in Prague

Charles University in Prague

Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...

 but left it after seven semesters.

In 1960 Michal started to write for literary journal Plamen ("Flame"), in 1961 he published successful collection of short stories. He worked as publish house editor, screen writer, as an editor in literary journal Literární noviny ("Literature News") and then as a professional writer. His novels were translated into foreign languages. Movie Bílá paní ("White Lady") directed by Zdeněk Podskalský

Zdenek Podskalský

Zdeněk Podskalský was a Czech film director and screenwriter. He directed 32 films between 1950 and 1987.-Selected filmography:* When the Woman Butts In...

 was based on one of Michal's short stories.

In 1968, after suppression of Prague Spring

Prague Spring

The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...

, he emigrated to Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

.
Here he worked as a guard, then as a teacher at a gymnasium.
He married Viola Fischerová

Viola Fischerová

Viola Fischerová was a Czech poet, and translator.-Life:She was daughter of Joseph Louis Fischer; her half sister is Sylviá Fischerová.She studied Slavic studies at universities in Brno and Prague....

.
Hardness of being separated from his family and the nation contributed to premature death.

Selected works

• 1961: Bubáci pro všední den, collection of short stories, one filmed as Bílá paní in 1965
• 1961: Krok stranou, a detective novel.
• 1966: Čest a sláva, a historical novel, filmed in 1968
• 1967: Gypsová dáma, a novel.
• 1976: Tak to na tom světě chodí, a theatre play.
• 1973: My občané mélští (We, citizens of Melos), a theatre play. A historical parallel between fate of island Melos during the Peloponnesian War
  Peloponnesian War
  The Peloponnesian War, 431 to 404 BC, was an ancient Greek war fought by Athens and its empire against the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. Historians have traditionally divided the war into three phases...
  
   and modern Czechoslovakia. Written by order of Swiss TV which however failed to show it for political reasons.
• 1977: Rodný kraj, collection of humorous historic stories, by an exile publishing house.
• Collection of Michal's works was published in 2001, ISBN 80-7106-460-2.

See also the Book Database of the Czech Republic.

Literature

• Milan Jungmann: Literárky - můj osud. Kritické návraty ke kultuře padesátých a šedesátých let s aktuálními reflexemi. (Literární noviny - my fate), 1999, ISBN 80-7108-182-5. History of the journal since 1952 to 1969, when it was closed down. Jugnmann also wrote short biography of Michal for the posthumous collection of works.