All Backs Were Turned

Hlasko began his literary career as a correspondent among workers. His first stories were published in 1955 in literary periodicals; their publication as a single collection under the title First Step in the Clouds met with a very favorable reception. He followed up his success with a novella, The Eighth Day of the Week (1956). While Hlasko's show more popularity grew during the Polish "thaw," he faced increasing difficulties with the authorities and defected to the West in 1958. In emigration, his portrayal of life under communism grew harsher; the publication of The Graveyard increased the Polish authorities' hostility toward him. He died in Wiesbaden, Germany in 1969. (Bowker Author Biography) show less