Swimming in the Dark: Tomasz Jedrowski

In early 1980s Poland, against the violent decline of communism, unfolds a tender and passionate tale of first love between two young men. Ludwik, a shy university student, meets the carefree Janusz at a summer agricultural camp, and what begins as fascination soon becomes an intense, all-consuming bond. Their illicit connection flourishes in a riverbank dreamscape, a world removed from society’s constraints, where they share a copy of Giovanni’s Room and discover a language of longing. Yet as they return to Warsaw, the political climate closes in. Janusz ascends into a powerful position within the ministry, while Ludwik becomes drawn toward protest in a cost of living crisis and widening social divides. Their secret love is tested by personal choices and the pressures of a regime on the brink of collapse, weaving a narrative that moves from the glow of first love to the ache of growing apart. The novel blends romance with politics and history in a lyrical, immersive voice that asks what it means to seek freedom and to love when the world around you is unyielding.

Two short notes offer further context: the story shifts from summers of euphoric youth to the stark realities of life under a repressive system, where loyalty and conscience pull characters in divergent directions.

• Set in 1980 Poland amidst communist decline
• First love between Ludwik and Janusz
• Illicit Giovanni’s Room inspires their bond
• Janusz rises in ministry; Ludwik pursues protest
• Explores freedom, love, politics, and history
• Lyrical, immersive debut by Tomasz Jedrowski

• LONGLISTED FOR THE POLARI PRIZE 2021
• Guardian Book of the Year
• The book has 256 pages in the first edition
• Paperback, Bloomsbury Publishing