On the occasion of the Brussels Book Fair, the Polish Institute in Brussels has invited Andrzej Wolski and Jacek Woźniak, authors of the graphic novel “Moi, Gombrowicz”.

“Moi, Gombrowicz”
Andrzej Wolski and Jacek Woźniak
ed. Denoël Graphic

Conceived at the initiative of Rita Gombrowicz, widow of the eminent Polish novelist and playwright Witold Gombrowicz (1904–1969), this “dream biography” applies the principles of the provocative and taboo‑free literature of the author of Ferdydurke, Pornography, Cosmos, and Bakakai. A major figure in international literature, admired by his peers, he is often credited with a decisive influence on the revival of the absurd in times frozen by war. After his death, the young Rita devoted herself entirely to preserving his memory and perpetuating his work. Along the way, she began to dream of a “comic‑book Witold,” a model of the Eastern European writer confronted with revolutions and communism, condemned to exile, moving from opulence to poverty and experiencing profound solitude.

It took six decades before Andrzej Wolski and Jacek Woźniak—his compatriots and spiritual heirs—finally gave form to this dream. “If you manage to laugh at yourself,” he wrote, “to amuse yourself and rejoice in yourself, even when you are in the worst trouble, you are saved.”
A piece of advice that has once again become essential.

We invite you to meet the authors and take part in signing sessions:

Friday, March 27

6:00–8:00 PM — Andrzej Wolski and Jacek Woźniak / Hall 3, stand 316

Saturday, March 28

11:00–11:50 AM — Graphier le chaos et colorer l’absurde / Place à l’Europe

This meeting brings together Brecht Evens and Jacek Woźniak & Andrzej Wolski to explore worlds where inner life intertwines with external chaos. In The Medusa King as in “Moi, Gombrowicz,” the authors translate absurdity, anxiety, and resistance in the face of a world perceived as hostile, standing in opposition to dominant systems. These narratives portray subjectivities in struggle and show how, in comics, graphic research, textures, colors, and distortions become a true narrative device.

12:00–1:00 PM — Andrzej Wolski and Jacek Woźniak / Libraire Européenne

2:00–4:00 PM — Andrzej Wolski and Jacek Woźniak / Hall 3, stand 316

4:00–4:50 PM — “Moi, Gombrowicz” 
— Andrzej Wolski and Jacek Woźniak / Slumberland Space

Andrzej Wolski and Jacek Woźniak will lead a discussion about Gombrowicz, a major literary figure, and the narrative strategies used to tell and represent reality. Combining text and drawing, their book gives form to the absurd and to an unruly way of thinking that resists a world perceived as hostile.

During the fair, the exhibition “Moi, Gombrowicz”, inspired by the universe of the famous Polish writer and beautifully designed by Jacek Woźniak and Andrzej Wolski, will also be presented.

Together, they invite the public to discover a “dreamlike biography” of Witold Gombrowicz.

Exhibition organized by the Polish Institute in Brussels