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Swimming in the Dark
Book • 2020
Tomasz Jedrowski's debut novel tells the intimate story of Ludwig and Janusz, two young men navigating first love in 1980 as Poland's communist system begins to crumble.
The narrative blends personal and political tensions, exploring how class, identity and state power shape private lives.
Written in a lyrical, epistolary second-person voice, the book examines secrecy, memory and the legacy of historical trauma, including the absence of Poland's Jewish community.
Jedrowski draws on family memories and Polish settings to create a vivid sense of place and atmosphere.
The novel received acclaim for its emotional subtlety and its intertwining of romance with social history.
The narrative blends personal and political tensions, exploring how class, identity and state power shape private lives.
Written in a lyrical, epistolary second-person voice, the book examines secrecy, memory and the legacy of historical trauma, including the absence of Poland's Jewish community.
Jedrowski draws on family memories and Polish settings to create a vivid sense of place and atmosphere.
The novel received acclaim for its emotional subtlety and its intertwining of romance with social history.
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Tomasz Jedrowski
From The Archives: Tomasz Jedrowski on his queer coming-of-age love story set in communist Poland
