THE Polish Ambassador, Andrzej Jaroszy?ski, is hosting a literary evening at the embassy tonight with one of Australia’s most famous animators, Yoram Gross.

As part of the event, Gross will present his autobiography “My Animated Life” to a group of guests, who will also view a film and book readings by actor James Scott.

Gross, born in Kraków into a Jewish family in 1926, survived World War II then moved in 1950 to the newly-formed Israel. In 1968, he emigrated to Australia, where he became a leading animation producer and director.

His best-known cartoons, “Dot and the Kangaroo,” “Blinky Bill” and “The Little Convict,” the latter starring Rolf Harris, have been seen by children around the world.  His newest film is “Professor Filutek,” about an old man from a comic strip some 50 years ago.

He was presented with the Murray Forrest Award for Achievement in Film Craft at the Australian International Movie Convention on August 25.

His autobiographical book tells, in a surprisingly cheerful way, what it was like growing up during the Nazi occupation of Poland. The Deputy Head of Mission for the Polish Embassy, Witold Krzesi?ski described the book as a wonderful story of survival.

Gross will join film writer Andrew L. Urban in a Q & A at the Canberra Short Film Festival, for which they are both judges, at Dendy cinemas, 5pm on the closing night September 18.