Keynote
Sławomir Mrożek – the grandmaster
of twentieth-century absurdism,
a misanthrope and an introvert, who,
in the telling of his beloved wife, is
transformed into a sensitive romantic.
An intimate biography, full of love and
tenderness, of one of the greatest writers
of the twentieth century.

Selling Points
 Previously unpublished letters and
photographs.
 A unique biography, written from
the perspective of the person closest to
the subject.
 A completely new perspective on
one of the most significant writers of
the twentieth century.
 A romantic story of love at first sight.
 Susana was a wholly devoted wife, yet
she wrote her husband’s biography from
the perspective of a strong, independent
woman.
 The life of an extraordinary writer
“behind closed doors” (and sometimes
quite literally).
 Among the pearls Susana Mrożek shares
with us: Mrożek’s carefully noted-down
recipe for pierogi, a sketch depicting some
rather bold acts, and photos of the writer
in a laurel wreath.

 A panorama of the real, unofficial
cultural life of Poland, Mexico, and
the international literary world.

Description
They met in Mexico in 1979. He was
a widower of 49, following a stormy
and difficult marriage. She was 27,
a divorcée, and firmly of the decision that
she would never marry again. She had
only ever seen him in pictures. So she
waited at the hotel for a man shaped like
a penknife, somewhere between Beckett
and Kafka, but there appeared instead…
Gary Cooper – confident, casual, tall,
and dressed like a cowboy. She was his
interpreter and guide, he was her friend,
unconditionally honest and devoted. They
fell in love, went their separate ways,
exchanged letters, searched for each
other – they met in Europe, they broke
up, they began other relationships, they
hurt each other, they missed each other. In
1987, he proposed to her in Paris. Without
a moment’s thought, she said no. He sang
“Paloma Negra” to her, agreed to all her
conditions. So she suggested he write
a letter to her mother…
Frankly, with charm and humor, Susana
Mrożek writes about herself (her youth,
her closest family, her life in Mexico)
and describes the years she shared with
Mrożek (from 1979 until his death) and her
life since as a widow.

Target Market
Readers of Mrożek.
People interested in the biographies and
letters of famous writers.