Michal Skibinski author page

Michal Skibiński biography

Michal Skibiński is a Polish author known for his childhood diary, which was later published as a book. In 1939, at the age of eight, Skibiński kept a diary as part of a school assignment, recording his daily life during the early months of the Second World War. His diary entries, written in simple sentences, provide a child’s perspective on the events unfolding in Poland at that time.

The diary was discovered decades later and published as What I Saw: A War Diary (original Polish title: Co widziałem. Dziennik 1939). The English edition, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones, was published by Otter-Barry Books in 2021. The book has been used in educational settings to help children understand history through the eyes of someone their own age.

Skibiński’s diary has been recognised for its historical significance and its unique insight into the experiences of children during wartime. The English edition of What I Saw: A War Diary was published in 2021.