Marcel Woźniak

(b. 1984) – television screenwriter, journalist, biographer of Leopold Tyrmand, author of crime novels.

Woźniak made his debut in 2016 as the biographer of Leopold Tyrmand. He also uses real characters and events in his novels. In general, he focuses on presenting a credible account, often referring to documents, photos and letters. In writing about Tyrmand’s life, Woźniak also draws on Tyrmand’s literary works to better introduce the reader to his life, worldview and legacy.

Woźniak’s crime novels are characterised by references to film, philosophy, history and contemporary culture. In both “Most nad wzburzoną wodą” (Bridge over Troubled Water) and his trilogy about detective Leon Brodzki (“Powtórka”, Replay, 2017; “Mgnienie”, Blink, 2017; “Otchłań”, Abyss, 2018), he constructs intriguing, multi-threaded stories and also touches on social issues such as the power of the contemporary media, the value of money, human helplessness, violence, revenge, the passage of time, and aging.

In “Powtórka”, he creates topographical descriptions and sketches the characters with keen attention to detail. The threads initiated in the first two volumes of the trilogy are connected by the concluding part, “Otchłań”. By referring to real events, Woźniak exposes the remnants of the previous system still present in today’s Poland, squaring accounts with the past.

In another of his books, “Rzeźnik z Lyonu” (The Butcher of Lyon), a fictionalised biography, readers are introduced to the figure of the cruel Gestapo commander Klaus Barbie. Based on preserved documents and eye witness accounts, Woźniak reconstructs the course of drastic events – interrogations and torture – weaving in explanations and references to history and politics. The shocking reality of World War II also features in “Egzekutor” (The Executioner). This time, Woźniak touches on themes related to Bruno Schulz and the murder of Polish professors in Lviv in 1941.

Woźniak has also directed two films: “Caissa” (2012) and “Snufit” (2013). Both productions present a metaphorical image of life as a game of chess.

For his book “Biografia Leopolda Tyrmanda. Moja śmierć będzie taka jak moje życie” (A Biography of Leopold Tyrmand: My Death Will Be Like My Life), Woźniak received the December biography of the month award from “Książki” Literary Magazine (2016).