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Pilch w sensie ścisłym and Rozdarta zasłona under the patronage of Krakow – UNESCO City of Literature

 

You will find them in book stores. Pilch w sensie ścisłym, the controversial first biography of the author created with and in spite of the writer, as well as Rozdarta zasłona, where Maria Szymiczkowa returns with a double dose of secrets hidden in Krakow’s townhouses, sprinkled with a greater dose of humour. This autumn, Krakow – UNESCO City of Literature – will be the patron of the two unique premieres. 

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„Pilch w sensie ścisłym” Katarzyna Kubisiowska
Znak Publishing House

It might have seemed that Jerzy Pilch said everything about himself in his books. It is, however, not true. It is also not true that his trembling hands were the result of alcoholism or, as other might prefer – a punishment for his sins. The best-selling writer successfully hidden many secrets beneath the shroud of literary fiction. Sometimes cunning and charming, sometimes cold and inaccessible. This controversial first biography of the author was created with Pilch and against him, stripping him off his fiction and showing the truth and only truth. Jerzy Pilch“How much time did they give you? “Two years.” “Yeah… So they are counting on my death before they publish it.”

Katarzyna Kubisiowska is a journalist working for Tygodnik Powszechny and author of many interviews with Jerzy Pilch. In reality the work on the biography of the writer started 20 years ago – even though the author wrote it in just three years – when the two artists met for the first time and started talking with each other – on private ground at first.

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„Rozdarta zasłona” Maryla Szymiczakowa (Jacek Dehnel, Piotr Tarczyński)
Znak Literanova Publishing House

A giant crowd at the Różnowski family villa – a body of a young girl was found on the Vistula bank. Another tragedy took place at the Szczupaczyński family house: Karolcia – a recently trained servant – suddenly resigned. Easter is coming and Zofia Szczupaczyńska needs to take care of the entire house with just one servant! She also knows that she has a duty as a citizen to help solve the mystery of the murder, even if that means she will have to break most – if not all – of the rules of a lady of the house. Will she manage to unveil the dark secrets of Krakow in 1895?

After the best-selling Tajemnica Domu Helclów, Maryla Szymiczkowa returns with yet another investigation, even more secrets hidden in Krakow’s townhouses, a giant dose of passion and even more humour. Maryla Szymiczkowa – a widow of a Przekrój subscriber, queen of pischinger, former star of Piwnica Pod Baranami and proofreader at Tygodnik Powszechny. After the success of Tajemnica Domu Helclów, she decided to devote her career to mystery novels.

Maryla Szymiczkowa was brought to life by Jacek Dehnel (b. 1980) – writer, poet and translator, author of a blog devoted to an inter-war mystery tabloid Tajny Detektyw and Piotr Tarczyński (b. 1983) – translator, historian and expert on American culture from Kraków, who has been living in Warsaw for past ten years.

Looking outside, we can see the Town Hall and a beam of light shining into the darkness. From the window of Czeczotka Palace, you can see the Market Square and the Cloth Hall. If you look at the window at the right angle, you will also see your own reflection in the window pane…

People gather at Czeczotka Palace. “I’ve been here since early morning”, said someone, who was supposed to leave two hours ago and yet stayed for a while to listen. “I just couldn’t resist”, said someone else, who was going to come only on Monday, but stayed until Sunday. Almost 15 000 participants took part in the week-long celebration of literature in Krakow.

“We think about literature the same as writers and readers” – this democratic formula comprises the concept of the Conrad Festival, which for years has been building a deep bond with its audience, to whom it has also started leaving significant decisions. During the Festival, the audience not only participates actively in meetings, but also gives out awards, with the most important being the Conrad Award for the best debut. Its aim is to bring attention to the writers, who have only just started to gather their audience. During the meeting titled “Literature, or the 18th camel”, a kind of a symbolic opening of the Festival, Grzegorz Jankowicz told us that it is all about inviting the writers back to reality, so that they can start working on it in some way. Working with senses, language and emotions, not free from tensions, but leading to mapping the world anew.

The idea of intensity was reflected in the involvement of the writers and readers. This year’s Conrad Award laureate, Żanna Słoniowska reminded us that literature is stepping out of one’s comfort zone. It requires crossing the borders of one’s own world view, leaning towards someone else’s emotions and experiences, noticing other discourses. Samar Yazbek reminded us of the meaning of literature for social life by noting that only knowledge of other cultures can conquer hatred. The participants of the Festival had the opportunity to learn more about the Congo, Syria and Israel. The invited Israeli authors brought our attention to the fact that literature is the best alternative in a divided and simplified world, since it stands in opposition to the political discourse, which trivialises and vulgarises reality. It allows the language to renew, which is necessary, lest it become a shell, restraining reality. The same sentiment was also brought up by Ukrainian writers and the authors of a new translation of Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita. Ida Linde shared her faith in literature with the audience: “I am deeply convinced that literature will survive the period where everything seems to be black and white. It will allow us to be different and preserve the shades of grey”.

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This year’s Conrad Festival forced us to find our own answers to the question: “What is literature?” However, it did not step back from all circumstances and contexts, in which literature is created and crafted. Also the material aspect of literature was discussed in the “Book Industries” section, presenting literary production from behind the scenes, showing the work of editors, publishers, book sellers and literary critics. The Festival also consistently emphasises the role of translators and their merits in the cultural development. This year they were also distinguished with a special award for the translators involved in the Festival itself. An additional prize was also given out to the moderators, who hosted the meetings. The Festival, organised at the Czeczotka House for the first time, became a space conducive to exchanging ideas and friendly meetings. We could take part in film screenings, exhibitions, workshops and accompanying events for children.

And what did the writers say about their audience?

Eleanor Catton admitted that she wants to understand the needs of her readers, what interests them and what they are looking for in her books. Richard Flanagan declared that the reader is more intelligent than him, because it is the reader who invents the novel and can guide the soul of the entire story. Michael Cunningham confessed that he writes his books for a few people, maybe four or five friends. “If someone else wants to read them, it’s fine, but I do not think that I can take over the crowd”, said the writer, making the audience laugh.

The project was financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage
The Festival is supported by EDF Poland – the patron of the KBF, Volvo Wadowscy, PZU SA and the John Paul II International Airport Krakow Balice Ltd.

 

Read more at: www.conradfestival.com

“Read PL” – the largest campaign promoting readership starts today (2nd of November), with a scope that exceeds the pilot programme seen last year. Thanks to the free e-book and audiobook libraries on 600 advertising media in 16 cities, as well as a strong entry into the virtual world, the Read PL campaign will reach millions of Poles. The readers will be able to enjoy 12 books, written by world-class authors such as Stephen King, David Lagercrantz, Jacek Dukaj and others.

Starting today (2nd of November), free e-book and audiobook libraries appeared on the streets – more precisely, citylights on bus stops, used for advertising purposes, as well as posters. Every such library contains a code, allowing the passers-by to rent books free of charge. The codes are accompanied by slogans, enticing people to use them, including: “What would you do to get free access to 12 best-selling books?” or “This QR code does not disappoint!” However, that is not all! The participants will be able to share codes with their friends using an application, and thus getting involved in active promotion of reading. “The last year’s pilot campaign in six cities showed us that we managed to find a way to convince people to read – using unique form, large-scale campaign, featuring good and popular books. This time Read PL will not only span the entire country, but as a campaign, it is going to have an unprecedented scale”, said Izabela Helbin, director of the Krakow Festival Office, organiser of the campaign.

The Read PL campaign is innovative not only due to its scope, range and creative use of city space, but also thanks to the selection of books, which includes best-selling and legendary novels. The Read PL collection comprises titles which are considered to be the classics of their respective genres, such as Other Songs by Jacek Dukaj or The Shining by Stephen King, as well as new discoveries, such as Trawers by Remigiusz Mróz, considered to be the hottest name in Polish mystery scene, The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz, who took up the Millennium series after Stieg Larsson, or The Red Captain by Dominik Dan, which became a basis for the film starring Maciej Stuhr. The virtual library also offers the biography of Elon Musk, the greatest visionary of the 21st century, as well as books for the lovers of scientific trivia – W rzeczy samej by Marek Miodownik, as well as for the fans of the Polish language. and Paulina Mikuła. The library’s offer is complemented by Thief’s Magic by Trudi Canavan, first part of the Millennium’s Rule series, as well as Kajko i Kokosz. Szkoła latania, a famous story for youth about a magical chair created by Andrzej Maleszka and The Eighth Life by Georgian writer Nino Haratischwili. “Eight of the titles will be available in two versions – as e-books and audiobooks, including two super-productions, recorded with the leading Polish actors. For the first time, we are also offering a comic book”, said Paweł Polański of Woblink.com, co-organiser of the campaign.

The application, which enables the participants to download the books was completely redesigned. Many new functions are available to our users. Currently, all books can be borrowed using a single code, we also added the possibility to invite up to five friends to the campaign, thus giving them access to the entire collection. In order to take advantage of the offer, you have to download Woblink application from App Store or Google Play and go to the “Read PL” tab. From there, you can scan the QR codes, which grant you free access to the books. The “Read PL” campaign will run until November 30th. You can find the map of free e-book libraries at www.czytajPL.pl.

 

The campaign was organised by: Krakow Festival Office (operator of the UNESCO Krakow City of Literature programme and Woblink.com platform.

Among the publishers who took part in the campaign were: Audioteka, Filia, Galeria Książki, Karakter, Media Rodzina, Prószyński i S-ka, Sound Tropez, Wydawnictwo Literackie, Klub Świata Komiksu, Wydawnictwo Otwarte, Znak, Czarna Owca.

Partner cities: Częstochowa, Gdańsk, Katowice, Poznań, Toruń, Wrocław.

Other cities taking part in the campaign: Warsaw, Łódź, Bielsko-Biała, Bydgoszcz, Białystok, Lublin, Rzeszów, Sosnowiec, Szczecin.

Partner: Book Institute.

Media patronage: Lubimy Czytać, Kawerna, Niestatystyczny.pl.

 

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The project was financed from the funds of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage as part of the Heritage as part of the National Readership Development Programme.

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