Story perspectives

Holocaust Survivor Fania Fénelon, Author of 'Playing for Time,' Dies

2/18/2026

Summary

Story summary

Fania Fénelon, a Holocaust survivor and author, died of cancer on February 17, 2026, in Paris at age 74.
Her memoir Playing for Time detailed her experiences in the Auschwitz inmate orchestra under SS orders.
The book was published in France in 1976 and in the United States in 1977.
The television movie inspired by the memoir faced protests over Vanessa Redgrave's casting because of her ties to the Palestine Liberation Organization.
She is survived by her two brothers.

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Story summary

Fania Fénelon, a Holocaust survivor and author, died of cancer on February 17, 2026, in Paris at age 74.
Her memoir Playing for Time detailed her experiences in the Auschwitz inmate orchestra under SS orders.
The book was published in France in 1976 and in the United States in 1977.
The television movie inspired by the memoir faced protests over Vanessa Redgrave's casting because of her ties to the Palestine Liberation Organization.
She is survived by her two brothers.