New Book: "Queer" by William S. Burroughs

About the event

📅 September 21, 2025, 3:00 PM Teresa Tyszowiecka and Karol Radziszewski will participate in the discussion, moderated by Michał Nogaś. The meeting accompanies the performances of Dries Verhoeven's play "NarcoSexuals" as part of the 6th International Festival New Europe. 📍 Foyer of Nowy Teatr / Nowa Księgarnia Free admission 📖 New book: "Queer" by William S. Burroughs, Filia Publishing House One of the most moving testimonies of 20th-century outsiderdom — now in a new translation by Teresa Tyszowiecka. Written in 1952 but hidden from the world for decades, "Queer" is William S. Burroughs' most personal and understated novel. Set in the sultry Mexico of the 1950s, it follows the story of William Lee – the author's alter ego – who, wandering from bar to bar among American expatriates, chases the specter of passion, teetering on the edge of obsession and despair. It is the only realistic love story in his oeuvre, but also a bitter, grotesque reflection on identity, desire, and rejection. In "Queer," the same rough, uncompromising voice resonates that made Naked Lunch a literary breakthrough — a mix of self-irony, manic humor, and sharp criticism of American mythology. "Queer" is a confessional novel. A story about desire, loneliness, and the dark corners of the human soul. "One of the most beautiful 'love stories' written in the 20th century. Even in the 21st century, Burroughs' novel sounds like a revolution. It is a shocking tale of the need for love and community – full of sadness, desire, and narcotic visions. There is something relentless and uncompromising in it – the author spares neither the characters nor the readers, drawing them into a sophisticated literary game. The effect is both captivating and terrifying. It is worth getting drawn in, especially since Teresa Tyszowiecka's translation allows us to once again appreciate the shocking power of this story. Burroughs in the 21st century proves to be one of the greatest and perhaps most underrated American writers in history" – Wojciech Szot 🎨 Illustration of the series: Jarosław Danilenko