Szczepan Twardoch

(1979) – writer and publicist.

In his earliest books (“Obłęd rotmistrza von Egern”, The Madness of Captain von Egern; “Sternberg”), Szczepan Twardoch tended towards historical/philosophical fantasy, his artistic style encompassing the philosophy of history and the spirit of revolution. The novel “Epifania wikarego Trzaski” (The Epiphany of Reverand Trzaska) brought a change of tone. Twardoch shifts towards the present day, engaging in a heated discussion about lustration (the exposure of communist agents) within the Catholic Church. He broaches the same topic in a more radical way in the political thriller “Przemienienie” (Transfiguration), in which the main character is a lieutenant of the Security Service. The book portrays the world of the secret communist militia with brutal ruthlessness. Twardoch’s next book, “Prawem wilka” (By the Law of the Wolf), also contains a strong anti-communist message – especially the opening story of the collection, “Bodhisattva”. His next work was the thriller/crime novel “Zimne wybrzeża” (Cold Coasts), the plot of which revolves around the Polish-German identity issues of the main protagonist Johann Schmidt, aka John Smith.

Another book exploring identity dilemmas is “Wieczny Grunwald” (Eternal Grunwald, 2010), in which Twardoch examines Polish-German antagonism through the prism of national stereotypes. A year later, he published a collection of six short stories titled “Tak jest dobrze” (It’s Fine Like That), which in various ways address life’s failures, a lack of acceptance, fear of ridicule and humiliation, and the inauthenticity of human conduct. 2012 saw the publication of “Morfina” (Morphine), a study of male weakness in which Twardoch masterfully intertwines three threads: psychological, historical and thriller. The main action of the novel, which also contains flashbacks, takes place over three weeks in 1939. “Drach”, published in 2014, is an epic portrait of several generations of a Silesian family. “Król” (The King of Warsaw) and its sequel “Królestwo” (The Kingdom) tell the story of a Jewish boxer, Jakub Szapiro. In 2018, “Drach” was published in the Silesian language under the title Drach. Edycyjŏ ślōnskŏ. In “Pokora” (Humility) and “Chołod” (Kholod), the author continues his exploration of themes relating to history and identity.

Twardoch’s latest novel, “Null”, addresses the war in Ukraine. According to Aleksandra Pakieła, Twardoch “does not give simple answers – he does not judge, glorify or demonise. This novel, although set in Ukraine, raises universal questions about identity, heritage, duty and the desire to live.”

Many of Twardoch’s works have been adapted for film and theatre.

For his collection of short stories “Tak jest dobrze”, he was nominated for the Gdynia Literary Prize in 2012. In 2013, he won the Polityka Passport Award in the literature category for “Morfina”. This novel was also shortlisted for the Nike Literary Award and nominated for the Gdynia Literary Prize and the European Book Prize. In 2015, “Drach” was shortlisted for the Nike Literary Award, and Twardoch won the Brücke Berlin Prize for the same novel. In 2015, he won the Kościelski Award. In 2017, he received the main prize in the “O!Lśnienia 2016” public vote in the literature category. In the same year, he was nominated for the Gdynia Literary Prize in the prose category for “Król”. In 2019, he was awarded the Samuel Bogumił Linde Literary Award. He received the Kazimierz Kutz Award in 2022. In 2025, he won the Usedom Literary Prize.