Twardoch: Fleeing War to Tuscany Would Shame Me

Szymon Twardoch, the author of "Null," won the prestigious Nike Literary Prize in October. The jury awarded him for his novel about a historian who leaves Poland to fight alongside Ukrainian forces after Russia's invasion began in February 2022. During an interview with Newsweek, Twardoch addressed rumors that he intended to flee the conflict and relocate to Italy or other destinations if violence escalated further.

Twardoch rejected these claims as morally compromising statements. He explained that while he does not wish to sit in trenches personally, defending Poland remains a worthy cause for him. The author emphasized that pogroms would only occur if state structures collapsed under full-scale attack rather than through isolated incidents of mob violence against Ukrainians.

The 30th edition of the Nike Prize ceremony took place at Warsaw's University Library on October 4. Jury President Witold Bereś described Twardoch's work as capturing a world where nothing functions yet resistance persists, noting that literature should remain free from political correctness to convey truth effectively.