Gombrowicz, Witold

Witold Gombrowicz (1904-1969), Polish emigre novelist and author.

From the description of Witold Gombrowicz archive, 1902-1998. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702153258

Witold Gombrowicz was one of the most influential Polish writers of the 20th century, author of novels, plays, short stories, essays, and a diary.

The following chronology lists the dates of key events in his life and the dates of first publication of works in Polish:

1904 Aug 4: born in Maloszyce near Opatów (Poland) to a family of landowning nobility, fourth child of Jan Onufry Gombrowicz and Antonina Gombrowicz (p.v. Kotkowska)

1911: moves to Warsaw

1915-22: attends Osmioklasowe Gimnazjum Meskie Kola Szkolnego im. sw. Stanislawa Kostki

1922-27: studies law at Warsaw University

1928: works as a judicial assistant

1933: Pamietnik z okresu dojrzewania published

1937: Ferdydurke published

1938: Iwona, ksiezniczka Burgunda published

1939: Opetani published in the press

1939 Aug 31: travels to Argentina and remains there in 24-year exile

1947: translation of Ferdydurke into Spanish

1947-55: works at Banco Polaco in Buenos Aires

1951: starts collaboration with Polish monthly Kultura ; Transatlantyk (fragments) published

1953: Slub and Trans-Atlantyk published

1957: Dziennik 1953-57 published

1959-61: writes series of radio talks published posthumously as Wspomnienia polskie/Wedrówki po Argentynie

1960: Pornografia published

1962: Dziennik 1957-61 published

1963 Apr 8: leaves Argentina

1963 May - 1964 May: stays in Berlin as a guest of the Ford Foundation

1964 May - Sep: stays in Royaumont, France

1964 Oct: relocates to Vence, France

1965: Kosmos published

1966: Dziennik 1961-66 and Operetka published

1967: receives Le Prix International des Éditeurs (Formentor)

1968: marries Marie-Rita Labrosse

1969: Entretiens avec Dominique de Roux published (in French); gives a series of lessons on philosophy to his wife Rita and Dominique de Roux, published posthumously under the title Guide de la philosophie en six heures un quart

1969 Jul 24: dies in Vence

From the guide to the Witold Gombrowicz archive, 1902-1998, (Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library)