Maurycy Szymel (1904-1942) – one of the most outstanding interwar Polish-Jewish authors, a poet, prose writer, translator and a journalist. He published volumes of poems in Polish and Yiddish: Powrót do domu (Return Home, 1931), Skrzypce przedmieścia (Suburban Fiddle, 1932), Wieczór liryczny (Lyrical Evening, 1935), Mir iz umetik (1936). He cooperated with multilingual Jewish press: “Chwila”, “Nasz Przegląd”, “Nowy Dziennik”, “Nowy Głos”, “Opinia”, “Nasza Opinia”, “Ewa”, “Ster”, “Szriftn”, “Hajnt”, “Globus”, “Literarisze Bleter”.
The volume Twarzą ku nocy. O twórczości Maurycego Szymla (Facing the Night. About the Works by Maurycy Szymel) comprises two parts: one includes works devoted to the writer’s heritage, the other – selection of his works in Polish and Yiddish. The title Facing the Night has been taken from the author himself: Szymel intended to entitle one of his poetry collections in this manner.