Gustaw Herling Grudziński (1919-2000) - prose writer, literary critic, essayist. Arrested in the war and sent to a camp in the Far North, he left Russia in Anders's Army and fought at Monte Cassino. In 1947 he co-founded and initially co-edited the magazine 'Kultura' then published in Rome. When the magazine moved he settled in London and in 1952 returned to Italy. Winner of many prizes: by 'Kultura' (1958), Jurzykowski Foundation Prize (1964), Kościelski Foundation Prize (1966), 'The News' (1981), the Italian Premio Viareggio prize, the international 'Prix Gutenberg' and French Pen-Club. In 1998 he was awarded the Order of the White Eagle.
In 1951 he released his recollections of his time in Soviet prison camps - 'Another World' - one of the first and best works devoted to the top subject in world literature. The book brought him international acclaim. His many-volumed journal covering the period 1973- 1999 also enjoyed great success: 'Collected stories' (1990), 'Ringing the bell ringer's death knell' (2000), 'The shortest guidebook around oneself' (2000). In 2000 he received the doctor honoris causa of Jagiellonian University in Cracow.
