About Me

I was born in Chrzanów, Poland, in 1972, in March. Chrzanów is a small town in the south of Poland. Well, maybe not so small, around 40K inhabitants, but very typical in many ways. Quite old, with a square, church, and some historical buildings, and all of those are surrounded by modern estates made of concrete blocks, which populated the face of Poland in the post-war era, and shaped traditional, agricultural country into well-developed, industrial oddity. Living under the socialists’ regime was so packed with absurdity, that it’s quite impossible to understand for people from the West. In fact, it’s quite difficult to understand for the modern generations of young Poles as well. 

I began my education in the local Primary School No.1. Soon after, in Year 3, my parents have forced me to join 1st Level Musical School. I spent six long years practising accordion and piano. I was quite good at it, but as it was never my idea, and my parents wouldn’t let me quit, it was very painful. I graduated from both schools at the same time, and I promised myself to never touch those bloody instruments again. 

As a second level of education I’ve chosen a local Technical School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (the education system in those days was not very complicated: eight years of Primary, four or five of Secondary and, finally, University. Alternatively, your Secondary could be only three years of vocational preparation and the Army right after). I joined the Machine Building class and after five years I became a fully qualified technician. I don't know how to build machines. 

During my last year in technical school I told everyone that I have no intentions to continue my education in the University of Technology. I wanted to pursue my dream and become an archaeologist. I cherished that dream in my head for 11 years, from the moment I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time. My supportive parents didn’t say a thing. Friends told me I’m an idiot. My teachers also believed in me. “You are never going to make it”, they said. “You don’t have a background to go through a really heavy set of entry exams”. So, I started to study by myself and in 1992, after passing all final exams and graduation, I bought a train ticket to Warsaw. I hold a Master Degree in Archaeology from the Warsaw University.

I worked as an archaeologist for a short time. It’s the best job ever. Cool and romantic to the bone,, but 30 years ago it didn’t pay well. To do that you would need wealthy parents and, probably, a second job to pay your bills. Besides, it’s not really the healthiest job out there. It can ruin your back, throat and liver.

I did a lot of things, working as a porter, cleaner, security guard, courier and interpreter, I assembled pens and worked in the archives of a well-known insurance company. I was dusting the old rolls with films in the warehouse of TVP at Woronicza and I was a computer graphic designer in an actor’s agency at Documentary and Feature Film Studios (WFDiF).

All this time I was writing. I worked for many magazines from the genre of the so-called "women's press", at that time belonging to the two tycoons of the publishing market of colour magazines, those with names that sound familiar to every native from across the Oder. I used to write for them whatever they wanted: weird tales, bitter diaries, bizarre stories, columns and reports. Nice, typical freelance job, where you never use your own name. Maybe not glorious, but very well paid, and nicer than mopping the floor at the supermarket. Along the way, I managed to write a few other things, the ones that I wanted to write for myself, not necessarily commissioned, or written according to very strict editorial rules.  

Now, much quicker, as we’re nearly there. On the 1st of May 2006 I bought a one way ticket, and landed at Shannon Airport in Ireland. I spent two and a half years in a picturesque and breathtaking s***hole in the middle of nowhere, working in a chipboard factory and drinking Guinness. Around that time the old Grzegorz was replaced by Greg, Gregory, and once - according to what people from the HR Department wrote on my locker - Grezgoz. I also lost the dash from "ś" in my surname, which was for good, as no one could pronounce my real surname anyway. 

In 2008 I fled to London, although I personally do not consider Croydon to be the part of London. For me it is a cross between Calcutta and Nairobi, marinated in Eastern and Southern Europe, generously seasoned with Asia.

I have a wonderful wife, a wonderful son, two beautiful daughters (twins), a house, and I recently planted a small birch tree in a pot. I work as a sales manager in a retail company with hundreds of stores around the world. Work like others. It is not a challenge for me, and I strongly believe that it is of no use to anyone. I think I would do more good for the world just by digging holes for fibre optic cables or by installing an ecological septic tanks. In general, I like digging holes. My dream job is digging a hole in the forest, preferably in the summer, when the sun is shining and the birds are chirping, and you have time to sit down, rest, drink a cold beer and think about life. My current job has a very little to do with my dream, but it has one huge advantage - I meet a lot of morons there.

A long time ago I began to suspect, that the world is not necessarily going in the right direction. Now I know, that it is going in the definitely wrong direction.

Hence, the idea for this blog.

Greg Jasko.

Here's a list of "other" things.

My debut was in 1998. It was the short story “Korporacja” (Corporation), in science fiction magazine Fenix, which no longer exists. In November 2003, for the short story "Ruina" (The Ruin), I got a distinction in Marek Hłasko’s 2nd Literary Contest, organized by the Club of Polish Intellectuals and the Jupiter, literary magazine in Vienna. A year later, "Zapach Czas" (The Scent of Time) appeared in the literary journal Studium. In 2005 the short story "Szept pustki” (The Whisper of Emptiness) won the second prize in the national competition “Painted with the Words”, organized by the Cultural Association in my home town, Chrzanów. I celebrated the year 2006 with the publication of the short story "Inni” (Others) in the Akant literary magazine, winning the second prize in a competition organized by the Municipal Cultural Center in Bydgoszcz. In 2007, I won the "Ad Absurdum" competition organized by the Indygo publishing house, which resulted in the publication of the short story "Kazio Twarzowiec" (Kazz the Face) in the collection of short stories Deadly Absurd Collected and the publication of the story "Genesis" in the post-competition almanac of the 3rd Polish National Satirical Competition. Year after, 2008 it was, I got the second place in the literary competition "Family - Love and Life" organized by the Catholic Association Civitas Christiana and the laurel in the second edition of the national competition "Ad Absurdum" by Indygo publishing house, which resulted in the publication of two short stories in the post-competition collection: "Proces" (The Trial) and "Czarna Mamba" (Black Mamba).