The novels of this writer tell about the most remote corners of the planet, inviting readers to incredible adventures with their heroes. The stories of Alfred Shklyarsky in the distant post-war years opened to readers unfamiliar countries and nationalities. His books are called on travel by both children and adults. But what is surprising, the author of fascinating novels did not like to travel at all.
about the author
The writer was born in the United States on January 21, 1912 in Chicago, where his father, an activist and member of the Polish Socialist Party, was forced to emigrate in 1908. When Alfred was sixteen years old, the family returned to Poland.
Since 1928 they lived in the mother city of Wloclawka, where Alfred Shklyarsky graduated from high school. In 1932, they moved to Warsaw. Alfred entered the Consulate Academy of Political Sciences. He graduated in 1938 and received a diploma. But the war prevented him from starting a political career.
At the academy, he met his future wife Christine, whom they married in 1939 in the Church of St. James.
War years
During the occupation, the family remained in Poland. At the end of 1939, Alfred became editor of the New Warsaw Courier newspaper, which was published under the control of the invaders. Under the pseudonyms Marek Smuha, Alfred Muravsky, Alfred Gruda, he publishes in the New Courier more than a hundred of his stories and first novels.
Alfred joined the ranks of the Home Army, fought against the invaders, took part in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising . Then he moved to Krakow, and from February 1945 he finally settled in Katowice.
Alfred Shklyarsky in 1949 was sentenced to eight years in prison for publishing in the Warsaw Courier during the years of fascist occupation. He was accused of "actions against the Polish people." The writer defended himself.
But the court did not take into account either Alfred’s participation in the Warsaw Uprising or his participation in the struggle against the occupiers in the ranks of the Craiova Army, where he showed courage and devotion to his country. Eyewitness accounts did not help either.
In 1953, Shklyarsky fell under amnesty and was released. Then he worked as an editor at ląsk publishing house until 1977. The writer died in Katowice 04/09/1992.
Literary activity
Szklarski's debut took place at a time when Poland was occupied by fascist troops. His first novels were aimed at an adult audience: Iron Claw (1942), Blood Diamonds (1943), and The Secret of the Tomb (1944).
In the postwar years, Alfred Shklyarsky signed books with pseudonyms Alfred Bronsky or Fred Garland. The first post-war books Hot Track (1946), Three Sisters (1946), Do Not Wait for Me (1947) and Błędne ognie (1947), written under the pseudonym Alfred Bronsky, were not noticed by readers or critics.
The discouraged writer decided to try his hand at creating works for young readers. In 1947, he wrote under the pseudonym Fred Garland a novel for children "Tom is in trouble." In general, he possessed remarkable patience and courage. Alfred Shklyarsky suffered the horrors of war and occupation with honor. The biography of this author confirms how much a person can be devoted to his country, readers, his beloved business.
In 1951, the writer's books were seized from all libraries and were prohibited by censorship. But he continued to create, inviting his readers to an unusual world and incredible adventures.
The book "Tom is in trouble" tells about a boy of Polish descent, who was born in America. When he finds out about the Warsaw Uprising from American newspapers, he goes to his native country on a Polish ship. But he gets to Africa, where incredible adventures await him. The book was a success, and the novel becomes the prototype of the series "The Adventures of Tomek Wilmowski."
Tomek and his friends
The first book of the Tomek in the Kangaroo Country series (1957) did not bring the expected success. But at the insistence of the editor, Alfred continued to work on this series, made amendments, following the advice of the publisher. The second edition has won the hearts of readers. And in subsequent years eight more books of this cycle appeared.
Novels intended for a youth audience, the editor persuaded Shklyarsky to sign with his real name. A series of novels tells the story of a boy Tomek, who travels around the world with his friends and gets into unusual adventures.
The hero of his books, Tomek, is an exemplary student, a good friend who values true friendship. A series of nine books replete with geographical, historical and cultural facts. It was written with a bit of humor and will appeal to adolescents, for whom the author created his works.
The last novel of this series, Tomek in the Land of the Pharaohs, remained unfinished. It was published thanks to Adam Zelge, who completed it on the basis of notes compiled by the author. The novel was released in 1994.
Native American Trilogy
In collaboration with his wife Christina, Alfred Shklarsky wrote a trilogy about the Sioux - Native American tribe of North America. The Black Hills Gold series describes traditions, indigenous religions, conflicts between Indian tribes, and also does not ignore the undeclared war waged by white people against Indian tribes.
According to Shklyarsky’s novels about the history and suffering of the indigenous peoples of America, they are riddled with pain, as they were written by an author who underwent fascist occupation. The tragic history of the native country and the cruelty of the invaders left a deep mark in the soul of the author. He believed that the history of Native Americans is akin to the Polish population that they tried to destroy and exterminate.
The only difference was that the Poles managed to survive this invasion, and the natives of America eventually lost their lands. Alfred Shklarsky strongly condemned interracial conflicts and violence and always advocated for world peace, not welcoming any ethnic strife.
The novels of this cycle were a huge success. They convey with incredible accuracy historical facts, the culture of the Indians. For Polish readers living behind the Iron Curtain, it was just a storehouse of knowledge and discoveries. The writer drew his knowledge from books, magazines, newspapers.
Travel books author who doesn't like to travel
The writer Alfred Shklyarsky was fluent in English, German and French. He knew Italian well. But he did not like to travel.
A trip to Egypt, where he first went with his wife, was not entirely successful. In it, Alfred received severe poisoning and spent most of the trip in a hospital bed. Since then, he has been looking forward to the return of her wife from trips, from where she invariably brought exotic souvenirs and new stories.
The author’s books brought him worldwide fame. He was awarded several awards, including Orle Pióro (1968) and the Order of the Smile, an award awarded by children (1971). In addition, Shklyarsky was twice awarded the Prime Minister for works for young readers (1973, 1987). He was a member of the Polish Authors Association.
Shklyarsky's books have been translated into Russian and Bulgarian. Unfortunately, they were not published in English. In Poland alone, eleven million copies were sold.
His novels are still very popular today, despite the fact that more than a dozen years have passed since the day of their publication. They still find more and more readers among adults and children.