Blaze Dzikowski (edit name/settings)

Blaze (Blazej) Dzikowski has published three critically acclaimed novels and one volume of short stories in his native Poland, all of them currently untranslated.

Born in the outskirts of Warsaw, Blaze Dzikowski grew up in the company of six German Shepherds, as his father was fond of animals. In his veins flows Russian (his great-grandfather, an industrialist, got killed by own workers) and Tartar blood (his grandmother devoured steaks even on Good Friday, much to her maid's appallment.)

Before Blaze Dzikowski learnt to write letters, his grandfather had helped him to put down his tales (the grandfather was an engineer and gave light to Polish sad night trains; the other grandfather -- a deaf carpenter and horse player -- bought a piano when he hit it big for the first time.) In primary school Blaze learnt to use a typewriter, the beautiful Erika, which he misses to this digitized day. He sent out his first story when he was 17. The editors at Paris-based "Kultura" rejected the story, but encouraged him to keep writing.

Nearly fatal disease, brought about by self-afflicted malnourishment, kept Blaze Dzikowski at a military hospital for some weeks. This is where his writing took a more serious turn, resulting in the first published novel - "The Dog". Later Dzikowski developed a severe anxiety disorder, which fuelled his interest in artistic exploration of mental illness.

Currently, his fiction took turn from magic realism to "realism so intense it doesn't seem real anymore", an effect mastered by Dzikowski's favorite painter, Edward Hooper.

Now Blaze Dzikowski takes note of the Pet Shop Boys' suggestion and Goes West. So far, in USA his short stories appeared in "Quick Fiction" and "Hobart".

Blaze Dzikowski can be contacted at:
blazejdzikowski <at> gmail.com

Bibliography:
-----------------
The Dog (a novel, 2002)
All Animals On A Highway (short stories, 2007)
Glitter In Eye (a novel, 2007)
The Park Keeper (a novel, 2010)