Maciej Szymanowicz

(b. 1976) – a graphic artist and author of books, covers and illustrations.

He graduated from the Puppetry Department at the Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw. Renowned in the children’s and YA literature circles. For a short time, he worked as an actor at Piotr Tomaszuk’s “Wierszalin” theatre. His current focus is on illustration and designing books, theatre posters and board games. In 2014 he published his first individual book, “Najmniejszy słoń świata” (The World’s Smallest Elephant), and a few years later the next one – “Krasnoludki. Fakty, mity, głupoty” (Gnomes. Facts, Myths, Nonsense). His drawings have been featured in magazines including “Życie”, “Wprost”, “Polska The Times”, “Mamy” and “MiniMini+” (online magazine).

He has received many prestigious awards, including the Literary Award of the Capital City of Warsaw for his illustrations for Joanna Papuzińska’s Asiunia (2011); his illustrations for the book “Wszystkie moje mamy” (All of My Mums) by Renata Piątkowska received two awards: in the Przecinek i Kropka (Comma and Full Stop) competition and at the Children’s Literature Festival (2014). In 2023 his book “Marzenia. Fakty, mity, głupoty” (Dreams. Facts, Myths, Nonsense) was honoured with the Yellow Poulaine Award in the literature and illustrations category.