BIO
Born on 7 June 1936 in Bielsk (which became Bielsko-Biała in 1951); son of the businessman Stanisław Faber and the teacher Jadwiga Matuszewska. He attended the Stefan Żeromski Grammar School in Bielsko-Biała. He wrote his first poems while at the school. He was a member of the Polish Scouting Association (ZHP). After completing advanced secondary education in 1953, he took a degree in Slavonic philology at the Jagiellonian University (UJ) in Krakow. He was a member of the Polish Students' Association (ZSP) during this period. In 1957, he co-founded the Inter-Faculty Literary Club (Międzywydziałowy Klub Literacki), which was based at the Żaczek student club within the premises of the Dom Studencki student dormitory. In 1958, he was awarded a master's degree from UJ. He initially worked as a cultural and educational instructor at the Krakow House of Culture (Krakowski Dom Kultury), before finding work at Krakow Technical School of Economics (Technikum Gospodarcze). He then worked as a school librarian until September 1967, also spending a year at the District Educational Office (Kuratorium Okręgu Szkolnego). He made his debut with the poem Z jadłospisu drużyny (From the team's menu), which appeared in 1958 in the scouting movement's weekly "Na Przełaj" (no. 26). However, he considered the poem Wolny przekład na leśne (Free translation into the language of the forest), which appeared in 1959 in "Życie Literackie" (no. 49), to be his proper debut. He continued to publish in this periodical to 1980. He collaborated with student theatres and cabarets, writing poems and songs for them (his roughly 300 songs include Jaki śmieszny jesteś pod oknem [How strange you are beneath the window] and Wędrówka [Wandering]). He was a member of many literary groups and associations. Between 1959 and 1962, together with Mieczysław Czuma, Leszek Aleksander Moczulski and Beata Szymańska, he was a member of the Żaczek Youth Club Poetry Group that was based at Dom Studencki in Krakow. The members of the group were at the same time members of the Youth Circle of the Krakow branch of the Polish Writers' Union (ZLP). In 1961 he was appointed director of the literary monthly "Sowizdrzał", published by the theatre group Teatrzyk Piosenki, which was also based at Dom Studencki. In 1960/61, he was a member of the Literary Group "Wielopole", which was centred around the Rural Youth Association's (ZMW) periodical "Głos Młodzieży Wiejskiej", where he published his poetry during this period. He won numerous prizes in poetry competitions, including the 1960 "Czerwona Róża" Prize of the Żak Student Club. From 1960 he collaborated with the socio-political weekly "Wieści" (also using the pen names Stanisław Szary and W.F.). Here also published texts including a regular column in 1976, "Moim zdaniem" (In my view), while in 1979 he published a series of epigrams without a by-line on the subject of his colleagues. He was employed as a proofreader at "Wieści" from 1967, becoming editor in 1978. He retired in 1979 owing to illness and became head of its poetry section. He also published poems, opinion pieces and articles in "Dziennik Polski" (intermittently between 1960 and 1977), "Gazeta Krakowska" (from 1961; he used the pen name KLON on one column in 1966), "Współczesność" (1961/62 and 1966-67), "Tygodnik Kulturalny" (intermittently between 1962-67 and 1971-77), and "Kurier Akademicki" (1963-65). From 1961 he also wrote children's literature, publishing his works in periodicals including "Płomyczek" (intermittently 1962-79) and in "Świerszczyk" (1962-80; also using the by-line W.F.). In February 1962 he joined the Literary Team (Zespół Literacki) at the Voivodeship Committee of the Union of Socialist Youth (ZMS) in Krakow. From 1964 to around 1970 he was a member of the Krakow-based Literary Group "Sowizdrzał", which was established at the student club Nowy Żaczek as part of the UJ Artistic Group "Sowizdrzał". In 1964 he was a member of the editorial team of the irregular periodical "Kurier Akademicki", where he also published his own poetry. In 1968 he joined the Literary Group "GRONIE", which was named after E. Zegadłowicz, operating as part of the regional interest group Towarzystwo Miłośników Ziemi Żywieckiej in Żywiec. He also published poems in "Głos Młodzieży Wiejskiej" (1966-69; including notes signed with the by-line W.), "Płomyk" (1967-68 and 1972-73), "Materiały Repertuarowe" (1968-73), "Poezja" (intermittently 1971-77), and "Jutrzenka" (1975-80). He wrote scripts for animated films broadcast on Polish Television (TVP; 1967-69). He joined the Polish Writers' Union (ZLP) in 1968. He was awarded a special lifetime achievement award in 1979 for his children's literature by the Beskidy Social-Cultural Association (Beskidzkie Towarzystwo Społeczno-Kulturalne).
He married Hanna Kossowska in 1965; he had a daughter, Mirosława (b. 1966). He died on 27 May 1980 in Krakow and is buried at the city's Rakowicki Cemetery.
Twórczość
1. Próba porównania. Poezja. [Autorzy:] M. Czuma, W. Faber, L. Moczulski, B. Szymańska. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie 1962, 83 s.
Zawartość
2. Otwieranie liści. [Wiersze]. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Iskry 1964, 65 s.
Zawartość
3. W bibliotece. [Scenariusz filmu animowanego dla dzieci]. Reżyseria: A. Ledwig. Telewizja Polska 1967.
4. Latawiec. [Scenariusz filmu animowanego dla dzieci]. Reżyseria: J.J. Janczak. Telewizja Polska 1968.
5. Nagrodzona wytrwałość. [Scenariusz filmu animowanego dla dzieci]. Reżyseria: L. Marszałek. Telewizja Polska 1968.
6. Rzeczowniki. [Wiersze]. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie 1968, 51 s.
Zawartość
7. Szyszki. [Wiersze dla dzieci]. Warszawa: Ruch 1968, [12] k.
8. Przekorna chmurka. [Scenariusz filmu animowanego dla dzieci]. Reżyseria: A. Piliczewski. Telewizja Polska 1969.
9. Niemechaniczny koń. [Sztuka lalkowa dla dzieci]. Praprem. pt. Koń niemechaniczny: Inscenizacja i reżyseria: T. Walczak. Kraków, Teatr Lalki i Maski „Groteska” 1971. Druk zob. poz. ↑.
Nagrody
10. Słodka przygoda. [Opowiadanie dla dzieci]. Warszawa: Ruch 1972, [12] k. Wyd. nast.: wyd. 2 Warszawa: Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza 1975, 24 s., wyd. 3 tamże 1979.
Adaptacje
tv
11. Przyjmowanie. [Wiersze]. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie 1974, 74 s.
Zawartość
12. Skaczące lato. [Wiersze dla dzieci]. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie 1975, 46 s. Wyd. 2 tamże 1988.
13. Wyścigi. [Dla dzieci]. Kraków: Komisja Bezpieczeństwa Ruchu Drogowego PZMot [Polskiego Związku Motorowego], Zarząd Okręgu przy współudziale Komendy MO 1975, [6] k.
14. Dwie bajki. Muzyka: A. Zarycki. Uwagi inscenizacyjne: T. Walczak. Warszawa: Centralny Ośrodek Metodyki Upowszechniania Kultury 1977, 190 s. + nuty.
Zawartość
15. W cieniu ognia. [Wiersze]. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie 1977, 40 s.
Nagrody
16. Teatr na łące. (Przedstawienie w naszej klasie). [Utwór dramatyczny]. „Świerszczyk” 1978 nr 42 s. 667-668.
17. Makówka i wiatr. [Wiersze]. Warszawa: Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza 1979, 36 s.
18. Pies na spacerze. [Wiersz dla dzieci]. Ilustracje: R. Knuth. Warszawa: Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza 1979, [6] k.
19. Słoneczni żeglarze. [Wiersze dla dzieci]. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie 1979, 44 s.
20. Wędrówka. [Wiersze]. Warszawa: Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza 1979, [18] k.
Adaptacje
teatralne
21. Uwaga! Słoń! [Wiersze dla dzieci]. Warszawa: Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza 1980, [8] k.
22. Zaczarowana muszla. [Scenariusz widowiska dla dzieci]. Telewizja Polska 1980.
23. Kolorowy śnieg. [Wiersze dla dzieci]. Warszawa: Nasza Księgarnia 1981, 36 s.
24. Jakiekolwiek zdarzenie. [Wiersze]. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie 1982, 49 s.
Zawartość
Adaptacje
tv
25. Zawsze. Wiersze wybrane. Wybrał i wstępem opatrzył A. Włodek. Kraków; Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Literackie 1986, 167 s. Seria Małych Wyborów Poetyckich.