Jerzy Kosiński Biography

Jerzy Kosinski was a Polish novelist who emigrated to the United States after escaping Nazi persecution in Poland. He survived the Holocaust by masquerading as a Catholic in central Poland. His novel, ‘The Painted Bird’ was a supposed autobiographical account of his double life. This novel was steeped in controversy, as critics claimed it was more of a work of fiction than an autobiography. Scholars also believed Kosinski was not capable of writing a novel in English at this time, which resulted in plagiarism accusations. Despite these accusations Kosinski went on to be a highly successful novelist. He received grants from institutions such as ‘Harvard’, ‘Yale’, and the prestigious ‘Guggenheim Fellowship’, that allowed him to complete his most significant work. His novel ‘Being There’ was a political satire novel critiquing the manipulation of the media for political motives. This novel solidified his place in the literary canon as one of history's great authors. He went on to write 6 more novels and make various T.V. appearances until he tragically took his life. To know more about the life and works of Jerzy Kosinski read on the following biography