The Zagajewski family was expelled from Lwów to central Poland the same year as part of Soviet post-World War II policy.

They moved to the city of Gliwice where he graduated from Andrzej Strug V High School (V Liceum Ogólnokształcące im.

The aim of the group was "standing up against the falsifications of reality and the appropriation of language by communist ideology and propaganda".

[2] Joachim T. Baer, a reviewer from World Literature Today pointed out that the recurring themes in Zagajewski's poetry include "the night, dreams, history and time, infinity and eternity, silence and death.

His poem "Try To Praise The Mutilated World" became famous when it was printed in The New Yorker shortly after the September 11 attacks.

[13] In the same year he received the Order of Legion d'Honneur and the Janus Pannonius Grand Prize for Poetry [hu] (award of the Hungarian PEN Club) as well.

"[14] In 2018 his collection of essays, Poezja dla początkujących (Poetry for Beginners), was nominated for the Nike Award, Poland's top literary honor.