15 Facts About Julian Tuwim

Julian Tuwim was a major figure in Polish literature, admired for his contribution to children's literature.

Julian Tuwim was a recipient of the prestigious Golden Laurel of the Polish Academy of Literature in 1935.

Julian Tuwim was not a particularly diligent student and had to repeat the sixth grade.

Julian Tuwim's poems celebrated everyday life in the city, with its triviality and vulgarity.

Julian Tuwim often used vernacular language in his work, along with slang as well as poetic dialogue.

Julian Tuwim drew more heavily from the romantic and classicist traditions, while perfecting his form and style, and becoming a virtuoso wordsmith.

In 1918, Julian Tuwim co-founded the cabaret named Picador and worked as a writer or artistic director with many other comedy troupes, such as Czarny Kot, Quid pro Quo, Banda, Stara Banda, and finally Cyrulik Warszawski.

Since 1924, Julian Tuwim was a staff writer at Wiadomosci Literackie where he wrote a weekly column titled Camera Obscura.

Julian Tuwim's aunt was married to Adam Czerniakow, and his uncle from his mother's side was Arthur Rubinstein.

In 1939, at the beginning of World War II and the German occupation of Poland, Julian Tuwim emigrated through Romania first to France, and after France's capitulation, to Brazil, by way of Portugal, and finally to the US, where he settled in 1942.

Julian Tuwim was affiliated with the Polish section of the International Workers Organization from 1942.

Julian Tuwim was a member of the Association of Writers From Poland.

Julian Tuwim returned to Poland after the war in 1946 but did not produce much in Stalinist Poland.

Julian Tuwim died in 1953 at the age of 59 in Zakopane.

Julian Tuwim wrote well-regarded translations of Pushkin and other Russian poets.