Walter Niedermayr and HG Merz: Station Z

Andrzej Szczypiorski is a Polish novelist and playwright who uses wit, melancholy and a rare understanding of human nature to portray the political and social realities of Eastern Europe over the last turbulent fifty years.

He calls on his own experience as a fighter in the Polish Resistance, a participant in the Warsaw uprising of 1944, and a German prisoner of war in his novel The Beautiful Mrs. Seidenman. He combines rich character studies with historical accuracy to create a poignant look at life under Nazi rule.

Self-Portrait with Woman moves the clock up several decades to look at the malaise of post-communist Poland. Once again, history's effect on individuals creates a bittersweet picture by a master storyteller.

Andrzej Szczypiorski's work has been compared to that of Milan Kundera. He stands with Kundera as one of the most important writers of Eastern Europe.

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