Jozef Hen

J zef Hen, born in 1923 in Warsaw as J zef Henryk Cukier, is one of the most highly regarded Polish writers of his generation. Following the outbreak of World War II, he escaped from Poland to the East before he joined the Polish Army in exile. He was a war correspondent and published his first poem in a magazine for soldiers, the "Soldier's Voice." During the war he lost several close relatives.Nowolipie Street is Hen's first book to be translated into English. The book was translated earlier...See more

J zef Hen, born in 1923 in Warsaw as J zef Henryk Cukier, is one of the most highly regarded Polish writers of his generation. Following the outbreak of World War II, he escaped from Poland to the East before he joined the Polish Army in exile. He was a war correspondent and published his first poem in a magazine for soldiers, the "Soldier's Voice." During the war he lost several close relatives.Nowolipie Street is Hen's first book to be translated into English. The book was translated earlier into Italian and German, and it was reprinted last year in Poland. Other works by Hen have been translated into numerous languages. Hen has also written scripts for several Polish movies and TV series and was a film director.Autobiographical elements play a prominent role in Hen's works and he is known for his intriguing comments on history and culture. As a Polish author said about him: "With increasing commitment, passion and revisionary intentions, he takes on the historical issues that particularly rankle in the Polish collective consciousness, departing in his judgments and evaluations from the textbook claims and popular stereotypes." See less