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Join us at the poetry evening organised by Universitas Publishing House to enjoy the poems of Beata Bronakowska-Sanak, winner of the Anna Świrszczyńska Contest in the category “Poetic Debut”, and promote the “Proś o kolor” (“Ask for Colour”) poem collection. The event will be held on Thursday, 1 March at 7.00 p.m. at Piwnica Pod Baranami.
The meeting will be moderated by Bronisław Maj.
The meeting is organised by the Universitas Publishing House in cooperation with the Krakow Festival Office and with the support of the Culture and National Heritage Department of the Krakow City Office.
Beata Bronakowska-Sanak’s debut poetry book was published after she won the 2017 4th Anna Świrszczyńska Poetry Contest in the “Poetic Debut” category.
On 19 June 2017 the contest jury led by Bronisław Maj, after a thorough analysis of all submitted poetry collections, decided on awarding the Poetic Debut Prize of the Anna Świrszczyńska Contest.
The prize consists in the professional publishing of the submitted poetry collection, organisation of the winner’s meeting with the public and promotion of the poetry book at the 6th Poetry Night (7 October 2017).
This year’s Poetic Debut section of the 4th Anna Świrszczyńska Contest received 102 poetry collections from across Poland, Europe and the world.
The Krakow UNESCO City of Literature Residency Program is dedicated to emerging writers from the Cities of Literature of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The Program was created with the belief that the Network provides an excellent opportunity to develop interconnections, boost mobility, and offer professionalization services for writers. It aims to promote the Cities of Literature Network, provide writers with a platform to showcase their work and talent to a Central European audience, support greater diversity of voices and literatures on the Polish and Central European book market and offer local writers the chance to create links with international writers as well. In the previous, pilot year, Krakow hosted three residents from three Cities of Literature, and this year there will be five scholarship holders!
The first resident, Grigory Semenchuk from Lviv UNESCO City of Literature, will spend two months in Krakow (May and June). Semenchuk is a Ukrainian poet, translated into many languages, including Polish, Russian and French. He is also a columnist for the Lviv socio-cultural journal Prosto Neba and the head coordinator of the International Literary Festival as part of the Publishers Forum in Lviv. In 2005-2007, he was actively involved in organizing slam and poetry events. In May, we will also welcome Mark Pajak — poet, writer and editor from Manchester UNESCO City of Literature — for a month’s stay in Krakow. His debut volume of poems Spitting Distance published in 2016 was met with enthusiastic response in Great Britain. Published works by Pajak can be found, in The North magazine, New Writing North or The Poetry School, among others. In addition to writing, he is also involved in literary education; he leads creative writing workshops in cooperation with the Manchester Metropolitan University and others.
In the autumn we will welcome the second round of residents. For two months (September and October), Krakow UNESCO City of Literature will host Louis Klee from the Melbourne UNESCO City of Literature and Núria Añó from Barcelona UNESCO City of Literature. Louis Klee is a poet, playwright and literary critic and the youngest ever winner of the Peter Porter Prize in 2017, the most prestigious poetry award of Australia. His poems were published in the Australian Book Review and Meanjin. He also writes theater plays, including The Ink Trail, which was awarded by the Australian Council.
Núria Añó is an award-winning Catalan-Spanish writer and translator. Her debut publication was published in 1990. In 2006, Añó’s novel titled Els nens de l’Elisa placed third in the 24th edition of Ramon Llull Prize for Catalan Literature. Her prose was translated into many languages including French, English, Italian, German, Polish, and more.
Lastly, this year we will welcome a special scholarship holder, Hera Lindsay Bird, who in June will come to Krakow to partake in the Miłosz Festival and for a month-long residence. This New Zealand poet has a volume of poetry under the name Hera Lindsay Bird, which gained great recognition and popularity and many awards, including the Jessie McKay Best First Book Award or The Sarah Broom Poetry Prize in 2017.
The Residency Program is a strategic project of the Krakow UNESCO City of Literature Program, operated by the Krakow Festival Office, which will fulfill the priority of strengthening international cooperation in the field of literature and the creative industries.
Writers will receive the opportunity for a one or two month stay at the Villa Decius, official partner of the project with years of experience running international residencies, including the Visegrad Literary Residency and the ICORN residency program.
The Krakow Festival Office will guarantee residents the opportunity to participate in the literary life of the city and help to develop opportunities for them to promote their works in Poland.
[From left to right: Grigory Semenchuk, Mark Pajak, Hera Lindsay Bird, Louis Klee, and Núria Añó]
Krakow UNESCO City of Literature and the cultural magazine Dwutygodnik are organising a 4-month Literary Criticism Course. Editors Zofia Król and Maciej Jakubowiak will hold classes from 24 March to 9 June. Registration is open until 9 March.
Literary criticism does not boil down to pointing out interesting books, presenting one’s evaluation or classifying literary phenomena. For literary criticism to be interesting, it has to be written in a creative and captivating way. Krakow UNESCO City of Literature and the cultural magazine Dwutygodnik invite you to enrol for a Literary Criticism Course centred on creative writing about literature.
Two editors of Dwutygodnik’s literary section, Zofia Król and Maciaj Jakubiak, will guide workshop participants through intense work on their texts: from brainstorming ideas, through work scheduling and text structure planning, to linguistic and stylistic solution analysis.
Workshop participants and hosts will thoroughly analyse i.a. the critical reading method, the specific features of particular genres of literary criticism (review, essay, polemic, interview), the issue of negative criticism and the challenges posed by new media. The workshop will focus mainly on prose genres (novel, short story, essay).
The workshops are intended for both experienced literary critics and those who intend to take up writing about literature. The course consists of seven 5-hour meetings held on Saturdays.
Recruitment
In order to apply for the course, please send your 1-page CV and a review of your own (max. 5,000 characters with spaces) to pisz@miastoliteratury.pl. Please write a review of one of the books below:
- Ignacy Karpowicz, Miłość (Love)
- Wells Tower, Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned (Ruiny i zgliszcza translated into Polish by Michał Kłobukowski)
- Weronika Gogola, Po trochu (Bit by Bit)
Organisers will select max. twelve participants. The submission deadline falls on 9 March
Moderator
Zofia Król (born 1980) – Dwutygodnik editor-in-chief and its literary section editor, literary critic and Doctor of Philosophy. Author of “Return to the world. The History of Attention in Philosophy and Literature of the 20th Century” (2013). Contributes texts to “Gazeta Wyborcza”, “Tygodnik Powszechny”, “Zeszyty Literackie” and “Konteksty”. Sits on the Witold Gombrowicz Debut and the Conrad Award juries.
Maciej Jakubowiak (born 1987) – Dwutygodnik literary section editor, literary critic, Doctor of Literary Studies. Author of “Nieuchronny plagiat. Prawo autorskie w nowoczesnym dyskursie literackim” (“Inevitable plagiarism. Copyright in modern literary discourse”) (2017). Writes for “Tygodnik Powszechny”, “Teksty Drugie”, “Polityka”, “Wielogłos”, “Znak”, “Popmoderna” and “FA-art”.
24 March – 9 June
Number of participants: 12 Cost: PLN 500
Workshop dates: 24 March, 7 April, 14 April, 28 April, 12 May, 26 May, 9 June Organisers: Krakow UNESCO City of Literatureand cultural magazine Dwutygodnik
“Once there was a man who worked a lot, and worked very fast, and left his soul far, far behind him. Life without his soul was quite good – he slept, he ate, he worked, he drove his car, he even played tennis. Sometimes, however, he got the impression that everything around him was too flat, as if he was walking across a smooth math notebook page, a very neatly squared page…”
The Lost Soul is Olga Tokarczuk’s first book written also for young readers. It conveys its message through both words and images. Joanna Concejo’s images illustrate this story and create a double narrative, as the writer puts it. Twelve illustrations presented at the Wyspiański Pavilion tell a moving story about waiting, patience and mindfulness. The book received a prestigious distinction in the Fiction section of the 2018 Bologna Ragazzi Award.
Joanna Concejo’s illustrations were originally included in Olga Tokarczuk’s The Lost Soul published by Format.
The Lost Soul. Exhibition of Joanna Concejo’s illustrations to Olga Tokarczuk’s book. Exhibition: 15 February – 9 March 2018
Venue: Wyspiański Pavilion, Krakow
The Second Life of a Book campaign is now in its seventh year! Last year, 15 editions were held over twelve months with 1500 participants who swapped more than 10 000 books, and bookcrossing shelves were placed in a number of new locations. The book swapping culture is in ever better shape – book exchange meetings inspired by our campaign were held during fairs, literary festivals and culture events in Małopolska and beyond.
The calendar of free book swapping events to be held in 2018 will be of interest to all – we will meet 14 times in variety of attractive locations. Seven special edition events will be organised, including a comic book exchange during the Krakow Comic Book Festival, a book exchange in Decius Park and an English book exchange in the Massolit bookstore. In 2018, book swapping events will be held traditionally at the Regional Public Library and the Wyspiański Pavilion, but also at the ‘Ogniwo’ Cooperative, the MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow, the Outdoor Cinema during the Off Camera Film Festival and the Central Fair in Nowa Huta.
The Second Life of a Book self-service bookcrossing shelves will also be put up during the Miłosz and Conrad Festivals. The 1:1 rule applies to using the bookcrossing shelves– for each book you take from a bookcrossing shelf, you must leave another.
The rules for participating in the Second Life of a Book project are very simple: participants have to bring at least one book, but no more than ten. The condition of the books you want to swap is important – you bring your books so that other people can read them. Books published before 1995 can be exchanged only for other books published before that year. If you bring new books (published after 1995) you can choose freely from new and older books.
Stop wasting books that you have got bored with. Pass them on and find a new owner for them. And who knows, you might even find a literary gem for yourself. Please, join us at the swapping events!
The complete events calendar along with the rules and regulations are available on the website: www.drugiezycieksiazki.pl
The Second Life of a Book campaign is organised by the Krakow Festival Office – the operator of the Krakow UNESCO City of Literature programme.
2017 has already come to an end and so have the Krakow 160th Joseph Conrad’s birth anniversary celebrations. The programme In the Footsteps of Conrad, which made people familiar with one of the most prominent figures of world literature and his associations with Poland and Krakow, was prepared by the Krakow Festival Office, as part of the Krakow UNESCO City of Literature programme. The importance of Conrad’s texts has not been diminished until the present day, and there are more of his traces in the Royal City than one would possibly expect.
The keynote of the Conrad Year was the journey as a life path of the writer. The author of Heart of Darkness stayed in Krakow during his lifetime twice: between 1869-1874 and in 1914, first having moved to this city with his father Apollo Korzeniowski. He grew up here, studied and entered the world of culture. He set off on his journey around the world from here to become a sailor and to sail into deep waters of world literature after twenty years of his maritime career. After having been away for forty years, Conrad visited Krakow on the day of the outbreak of World War I as a renowned writer already. The participants of the events and activities organized as part of the Krakow celebrations had an occasion to follow his footsteps, not only through the texts, the presentation of his work, discussions and learning about the cultural output connected with his works, yet in the most literal way, in the urban space as well.
For aspiring writers, Joseph Conrad may be a huge inspiration in many aspects, among others, as a progenitor of a modern detective story (especially through one of his most widely known books – TheSecret Agent) – hence the idea of a Conrad edition of the Creative Writing Course and the workshops. Their participants have checked themselves this year in the field of detective story, with writer Mariusz Czubaj and editor of W.A.B publishing house Filip Modrzejewski. As part of the Conrad Year, there were also some reporter-travelling workshops organized, inspired by travel and maritime themes in the oeuvre of the author of Typhoon. Marcin Kącki and Dariusz Rosiak – journalists, reporters, main representatives of non-fiction Polish genres were the hosts of this event.
One of the main events of the Year was the radio drama Serce ciemności (Heart of Darkness) with the participation of Jan Nowicki and Jerzy Trela, created by the Krakow Festival Office and Radio Kraków. The drama was based on a renowned polonisation of Conrad’s novel made by Jacek Dukaj and published by the Literary Publishing House. One of the most talented directors of the young generation, Małgorzata Warsicka undertook the task of directing Serce ciemności and the original music, performed live during the premiere, was composed by instrumental, vocal and theatre music creator, Karol Nepelski.
The Conrad Year was packed with educational events, targeted at different age groups. There was a series of workshops for children during which they became familiar with the fascinating biography of Joseph Conrad – an excellent writer, a brave traveller, an adventurer and a globetrotter. The workshops were conducted by, among others, Joanna Rusinek, Anita Andrzejewska, Andrzej Pilichowski-Ragno, Anna Kaszuba-Dębska. There was another offer directed to school children. Namely: 25 reading lessons , organized in the cities all around the country, together with Tygodnik Powszechny Foundation. These were after-school meetings with literature that encouraged high-schoolers to read the works of Conrad carefully and think critically. They were hosted for young people by such excellent experts in humanities as, among others, Agata Bielik-Robson, Grzegorz Jankowicz, Inga Iwasiów, Michał Olszewski, Piotr Paziński, Paweł Panas, Maciej Świerkocki and Jerzy Jarniewicz.
Another, 9th edition of the Conrad Festival, taking place under the motto Unrest was an important point of the celebrations. Another time, the light of Conrad’s lantern illuminated the Main Market Square, discussions on the works of the patron of the event were held during meetings, including an extremely important one initiating the festival and featuring translators of Conrad, including Jacek Dukaj, whose Serce ciemności, translation of Heart of Darkness, had its premiere on the festival. The programme of the celebrations also included a series of films referring to the life and work of Conrad. In Pod Baranami Cinema, the viewers had a chance to see films of e.g. Andrzej Wajda, Francis Ford Copolla and Ridley Scott, including introductions by experts.
The literary walks were extremely popular too. In the company of experts, the inhabitants of Krakow and tourists discovered the traces of Conrad’s presence and the places commemorating him, such as the apartment at Poselska Street, where a memorial plaque is placed, Grand Hotel where the writer stayed with his family during a short visit in Poland in 1914 or a bench in the Planty park devoted to him. Besides that, there were also 10 special walks organized for schools in which whole classes could take part.
Thanks to the Jagiellonian University Joseph Conrad Research Centre, there was a national, inter-disciplinary scientific conference Conrad and (pop)texts organized at the Department of Polish Studies of the Jagiellonian University. During the conference, eminent scholars, literature experts, critics and students discussed the connections of Conrad and popular culture. A discussion panel organized in December and aimed at a broad audience was a continuation of the conference.
The celebrations also involved book releases under the auspices of Krakow UNESCO City of Literature. They included the literary monograph Konwencje, stereotypy, złudzenia. Relacje kobiet i mężczyzn w prozie Josepha Conrada (published by Universitas) by Monika Malessa-Drohomirecka. The premiere of the book was accompanied by a discussion with the author. The book Oddać sprawiedliwość widzialnemu światu. Eseje o twórczości Josepha Conrada (published by Narodowe Centrum Kultury) and some comics: an adaptation of Heart of Darkness by Catherine Anyango & David Mairowitz (published by Lokator) and Kongo by Tom Tirabosco and Christian Perrissin translated by Magda Heydel and Krzysztof Umiński (published by Kultura Gniewu) were also put under the auspices. The authors of these books took part in the Conrad Festival as panelists.
The celebrations of the Conrad Year also meant a unique series of literary gadgets with graphic designs made by Mateusz Kołek, Krakow designer, illustrator and comic writer. These were, among others, posters, mugs, socks, bookmarks, notebooks, stamps and a creative leaflet in the shape of a ship presenting Conrad’s associations with Krakow and his biography.
Many interesting projects made it possible for literature to be more visibly present within the urban space. Thanks to the cooperation with the AMS company and the National Museum in Krakow, the passengers of public transport could use all year long a multimedia literary stop on which Joseph Conrad was looking at the infinity of the African jungle. In December, unveiling of a mural dedicated to the writer took place, made by Artur Wabik, Krakow street artist, which will be incorporated into the landscape of the post-industrial Krakow district of Zabłocie (at 11 Zabłocie Street). At the end of the year, during the whole month, there was also an exhibition in front of Wyspiański Pavillion at All Saints Square thanks to which passersby could learn some interesting facts on the life and work of this Polish writer.
Another extremely significant element of Krakow UNESCO City of Literature actions centred around Conrad were media actions. The representatives of Krakow UNESCO City of Literature took part in a series of radio programmes prepared by Polish Radio Programme Three, or in a Conrad’s edition of Tygodnik Kulturalny prepared by TVP Kultura. Conrad’s issue of Gazeta Wyborcza published on the birthday of the author of Heart of Darkness was the culmination of these actions.
The year-long programme of the Krakow celebrations was accomplished thanks to the co-funding of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
Marcin Wicha, the author of such novels as Rzeczy, których nie wyrzuciłem collected his PASZPORT POLITYKI award in the category of literature. The awards were granted during an official gala event in the Great Theatre National Opera. For the first time in the history of PASZPORTY, Krakow UNESCO City of Literature was the partner of the Literature category. It additionally funded a monthly creative scholarship in Krakow for the winner.
Marcin Wicha is a graphic art designer. Alongside his professional work, his passion is writing. Both children and parents know him as the author of funny books about Klara, Łysol i strusie, as well as the continuation of Bolek and Lolek’s adventures. His first essayistic book is the story Jak przestałem kochać design. The newest one – Rzeczy, których nie wyrzuciłem has just brought him the Paszport Polityki award. The author writes about his mother, death, cleaning up the things, books and memories in his essays. Yet, above all, he writes about words and silence.
Note that, apart from Wicha, there were also other artists nominated to this year’s edition of the award: Anna Cieplak, the laureate of the Conrad Award, and Paweł Sołtys, known among music fans as Pablopavo.
Marcin Wicha, fot. Leszek Zych | Polityka
You can find out more about this year’s laureates of Paszport Polityki awards: here
PASZPORTY POLITYKI is an award granted by a weekly magazine POLITYKA since 1993. For 25 years it has been given to young creators and artists for outstanding artistic achievements. The creators are awarded in the following categories: film, theatre, visual arts, classical music, pop music, and since 2016, digital culture. Since 2002, there has also been a special award for the CREATOR OF CULTURE. This distinction is honoured to people and institutions which contribute to spreading Polish culture, both at home and abroad in an extraordinary and unconventional way.
For 25 years, the Jury of PASZPORTY POLITYKI has honoured 147 laureates, including 187 artists and creators (including teams) and has distinguished 20 Creators of Culture. Statistically, there are mostly men aged 36 that dominate among the laureates. The capital is also quite dominant as the birth place and the place of education of the winners (over 37%). In comparison – Gdańsk 11%, Krakow 7%, Poznań 6%, Łódź 4%. It is noteworthy that quite a big group of winners were born abroad, e.g. in Russia, Lithuania, France, Sweden or Switzerland. The Paszporty award is usually granted to young creators between 30 and 40 years old, yet there were also some laureates that were mature artists – 50 and 60 year olds and very young teenagers. An interesting fact, is that the lowest age average was noted in the classical music category (29 years of age). In recent years, the age of the winners in all the categories definitely balances (30+). In the course of 25 years of the award, the Jury has awarded an ex-aequo prize twice and once a special non-statutory prize for the Jewish Historical Institute Association in Poland. This quarter of a century also shows the image of a generation artists. Many laureates of the 1990s are now recognized creators, who have brought up a new generation of artists, also awarded with PASZPORTY POLITYKI awards, yet in the 21 century.
THE BOOK NIGHT. IS KRAKOW – CITY OF LITERATURE A HISTORICAL TERM?
On Thursday, 11 January 2018, at 7.00 p.m. in Jama Michalika Café at Floriańska Street, a meeting will be held, during which we will talk about the influence of Krakow’s literary heritage on the current readership condition and interest.
For many years, Krakow has been the place of residence for numerous writers and poets, who undoubtedly constitute a group of the most important figures of Polish literature. The city lived on the words of its creators, determining the paths of our cultural heritage. The fact that many literary events are organized in Krakow only seems to confirm that fact.
However, to what extent does the historical significance of Krakow for Polish literature currently oblige its residents to an increased share in literary culture?
The problems that a contemporary book needs to face also concern our city. Traditional bookshops are replaced by Internet distribution to the same extent as in other cities. Cyclic, big literary festivals do not always guarantee the attendance of citizens at numerous smaller events. To what extent does the City of Literature result in the increase of reading and the interest in literature?
It also seems that in the era of Internet and mass communication means it is not necessary to stay in one city. The writers relocate and move, they can create and publish in any place in the world, living outside a grouped environment of creators. Is Krakow – the city of literature an emphasis of the historical heritage of the city or an expression that actually describes the present condition?
We will try to look for the answers to these questions during a discussion with the participation of Krzysztof Żwirski from the Literary Department of the Krakow Festival Office, the operator of the Krakow UNESCO City of Literature programme, in which he is responsible for bookshop support programmes, Paulina Bandura – PR manager of Księgarnia Pod Globusem bookshop, Professor Teresa Walas, literature expert, literary theorist, literary historian and literary critic, staff member of the Chair of Literary Anthropology and Cultural Studies at the Faculty of Polish Studies, Jagiellonian University, as well as Piotr Kołodziej PhD – assistant professor at Teaching Literature and Polish Language Department and the Department of Publishing and Supplementary Sciences of the Philology at the Pedagogical University.
The Book Night event Krakow – is the city of literature a historical term? is part of the Book Night project that has been implemented by the Jagiellonian Club since 2015 and that was granted the patronage of the Krakow UNESCO City of Literature. Through organizing meetings with the authors, city actions and discussions on literature, the Book Night opens it up, looks for a place in the contemporary world for it and proves that it is able to answer the problems and needs of today’s world. . The project promotes literature and good reading attitudes in other cities as well: Katowice, Poznań and Wrocław.
More info:
Facebook Event or the Night of The Book Facebook Page