Svatopluk Turek

Svatopluk Turek (October 25 1900, Hodslavice – December 30 1972 Gottwaldov) was a Czech novelist, known under pen name T. Svatopluk.

After studying arts at the university he worked as graphics designer in Baťa company in Zlín. He is most know for his book Botostroj (The Shoe Machine) where he depicted the company as an inhuman mechanism destroying lives of people and its boss Tomáš Baťa as a dictator. The novel is written in very fast, expressive language.

Family of Tomáš Baťa sued for defamation and tried in various ways to stop publishing the book.

Works

• Botostroj, 1933 (The Shoe Machine)
• Bez šéfa, (Without the boss) - sequel, after the company was nationalized
• Mrtví země
• Andělé úspěchu
• Gordonův trust žaluje (also named Pán a spisovatel)
• Hrdinové z ostrova
• Švédský mramor