After finishing secondary school, Švandrlík took a number of jobs and also completed a two-year teaching course at a music college in Prague.

He left in the winter of 1955, and worked as a teaching assistant for Korean children in Liběšice before becoming a professional writer.

Švandrlík died in Prague on 26 October 2009 and was buried at the Church of the Holy Trinity [cs] in Kutná Hora.

[4] On 21 April 2010, a field bordered by Skřivanova, Lažanského, Švabinského, and 7. května streets in Chodov was named after the writer.

[5] A bust of Švandrlík by Czech artist Miroslav Pangrác [cs] was unveiled there on 14 October 2010.