Witold Gombrowicz – Poland

Novelist, playwright and essayist, born in 1904 and died in 1969. Studied law at the University of Warsaw and philosophy and economics in Paris.

In 1933 Gombrowicz published " Pamiętnik z okresu dojrzewania / Memoirs of a Time of Immaturity", a collection of humorous stories, which was completely misunderstood by contemporary critics. Four years later he published his first novel,  "Ferdydurke". Critics reacted harshly to "Ferdydurke", and the controversy surrounding the book divided readers into two camps: those who worshipped the author, and those who hated him. Gombrowicz became internationally famous in the 1960s, when several of his works -- "Pornography / Pornografia", "Cosmos / Kosmos", "Diary", and "Operetta / Operetka" -- were published in Paris. Gombrowicz is one of the most exceptional writers in the history of literature, at least in terms of his philosophy, his method of constructing texts and the power of his language. He fought endlessly against Polish tradition and history.

Known Literary Works:

·         The Possessed

·         Ferdydurke

·         Pornography

·         Cosmos

·         The Marriage

·         Operetta