A citation of the jury speaks of the greatness of his literary output, which “being a very serious joke has co-created the great epoch of modern Polish culture”.
In his thank-you remarks, Mrożek said: “I heard a lot of good things about PEN. Now that I have its award, I feel a good man myself”.
The writer received a congratulatory letter from President Bronisław Komorowski, who referred to Mrożek as “the master of irony, grotesque and contrariness”.
Asked if he’s working on a new play, Mrożek disclosed that he recently completed one. It’s entitled Pierwsza żona Adama (Adam’s First Wife).
“What next – I don’t know,” he said.
Mrożek visit coincides with the launch of a 700-page volume of his correspondence to and from the internationally famous science-fiction writer Stanisław Lem (1921-2006).
They were close friends for many years and their letters touch upon not only literature and politics but also everyday matters as well as cars, which was a big passion for both of them.
Mrożek’s previous visit to Poland was last year for his 80th birthday.
He currently lives in Nice, having left the city of Krakow for health reasons in 2008.
The writer had emigrated from Poland for the first time in 1963 and lived in Italy for eight years. Initially, he did not want to enter into an open conflict with the Polish communist authorities in order to be able to have contact with Polish theatres and Polish readers.
Following the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, however, Mrożek wrote a protest letter and fell foul of the Polish regime.
He subsequently lived in France, the United States, Germany and Mexico until 1996, when he returned to Krakow with his Mexican wife.
Mrożek is among Poland’s most often translated authors. His best-known plays are Tango, The Emigres, The Ambassador, The Slaughterhouse and Love in the Crimea.
Last year Penguin published a collection of his short stories The Elephant. (mk/pg)