Maciej Jasiński
Seven o’clock in the morning. The alarm clock on the mobile phone blares again. Moments later, a mother enters the room, pulls the quilt away, and shouts, “Get up, or you’ll be late for school!” What a nightmare! Many of you, dear young Readers, have surely experienced moments like this. But, believe me, there are even worse nightmares. Imagine living hundreds of years ago. No one wakes you up and no one urges you to learn… simply because you weren’t born a boy. The idea of a life without school might initially sound enticing, but it also means that girls wouldn’t have the skills to read or write. Instead, from their earliest years, they would be groomed to manage households and be prepared for marriages arranged by their families. This was the norm for centuries. Such was the world of Nawojka, the daughter of the mayor of Dobrzyń nad Wisłą (a town that today lies within the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region) during the 15th century. She is the main character in this comic book. With her strong desire to learn in a world where women were barred from higher education, she took a bold and risky step and disguised herself as a boy. Dressed as a man, she would attend lectures and, for a long time, went unrecognized by both professors and fellow students. Historians debate whether Nawojka truly existed or if her story is merely legend. The fact is, however, that five centuries later, another Polish woman, Maria Skłodowska-Curie, not only graduated from the prestigious Sorbonne University in Paris, but also became the first female professor and lecturer in the University’s history. She belongs to the elite group of only four individuals awarded two Nobel Prizes. Thus, I invite you to read the compelling story of a Polish woman who defied societal norms in her pursuit of education. PIOTR CAŁBECKI Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region
ISBN 978-83-965996-7-4
Jacek Michalski