a detailed psychological picture of concentration camp prisoners and their SS guards. He also produced short stories, news reports and travel books. During his career, he worked for the theatre, radio and television. Children's literature was another important part of his work. As well as children's books he also wrote scripts for children's films. He illustrated his books with photographs taken during his extensive travels. Krabice živých (A Box of Lives) Frýd completed his most successful novel in 1956. The plot is set in the last months of 1944, in the fictional concentration camp of Gigling. The main character, the young intellectual Zdeněk Roubík, is an assistant in the camp office. One of his jobs is to maintain the card index of the inmates, hence the title of the novel, "A Box of Lives". In the camp, Roubík gradually manages to overcome the apathy and depression caused by the death of his brother and he becomes more actively involved in camp life. The author attempts to depict everyday life, social interactions and relationships in the camp, and the work and hardships of the inmates. The description of the SS guards in the camp is a focus of particular attention. The novel includes autobiographical elements (like Roubík's brother in the novel, the author's brother Jan died in a concentration camp) and attempts to document life in the inhumane environment of a concentration camp. It offers philosophical insights while attempting to provide an objective picture of the camp's everyday reality. The author reflects on how to maintain human dignity and cope with evil in the extraordinary circumstances of the camp. The novel was acclaimed by contemporary critics, and republished in numerous editions and translations. Works Books Prag spricht dich an (1933) in German, under the name Norbert Fried Pusťte basu do rozhlasu (1937) fairytales, under the pseudonym Nora Fried; in 1972 published under the title Basa tvrdí muziku Don Juan jde do divadla (1942) under the pseudonym Emil Junek Bratr Jan (1945) under the pseudonym Nora Fried, written in memory of the author's brother Jan, murdered in a concentration camp Divná píseň (1946, 1940) banned Mexiko je v Americe (1952); in 1958, published under the title Mexické obrázky Případ majora Hogana, Druhá smrt Dicka Garzy (1952) Studna supů (1953) Havíř Gavlas (1953) Meč archandělů (1954) Usměvavá Guatemala (1955) Krabice živých (1956) Ztracená stuha (1957) Kat nepočká (1958) based on the life story