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The City of Literature Foundation and the Krakow Festival Office in co-operation with the Krakow Literature Foundation and the Chair of Contemporary Critique of the Faculty of Polish Studies of the Jagiellonian University invite you to attend critical workshops.
The dispute over Polish poetry continues. One of the steady points of reference within that dispute is the poetry of Czesław Miłosz – ‘the most troublesome hero of this campaign’. The first line gathers critics who refer to the ‘steadfast centre’ marked by the ‘shadow of someone like Miłosz,’ whereas critics projecting Polish poetry ‘after Miłosz’ act in the second line.
Workshops devoted to the interpretation of poems by Czesław Miłosz and contemporary Polish poets will be conducted by recognised critics and authors of most recent literature. The workshops will be summarised by a panel in which persons conducting the workshops will participate during the 4th Miłosz Festival.
All people interested in contemporary poetry, particularly university students, are invited to participate.
DATES:
Lines ‘in the shadow of Miłosz’ and ‘after Miłosz’: 14.05.2015
Lines ‘in the shadow of Miłosz’ and ‘after Miłosz’: 15.05.2015
The panel summarising the workshops: 16.05.2015
REGISTRATIONS: You can register your participation not later than by the 30th April of 2015. The workshops are free of charge. The number of places is limited!
In order to register, send an e-mail to: warsztaty@fundacjamiastoliteratury.pl
Such an e-mail should include personal data, contact data and a short CV (maximum 1 page). The basis of eligibility for participation in the workshops will be an interpretation of a selected poem from one of the volumes of a poet from among the circle of guests of the 4th Miłosz Festival: Wojciech Bonowicz, Julia Fiedorczuk, Wioletta Grzegorzewska, Ryszard Krynicki, Klara Nowakowska, Marta Podgórnik, Krzysztof Siwczyk, Michał Sobol, Dariusz Sośnicki or Dariusz Suski. Texts must not be published beforehand and should not exceed 10,000 characters.
Workshops are conducted by:
Tomasz Kunz – an assistant professor at the Chair of Anthropology of Literature and Cultural Research of the Faculty of Polish Studies of the Jagiellonian University, a translator (e.g. of books by Zygmunt Bauman), the secretary of the editorial staff of the Wielogłos journal. A theoretician, historian and critic of modern literature. The author of the book Strategie negatywne w poezji Tadeusza Różewicza. Od poetyki tekstu do poetyki lektury [Negative Strategies in Tadeusz Różewicz’ Poetry: From the Poetics of the Text to the Poetics of Reading] (2005). He wrote: ‘After Miłosz – so actually when? Can we really say with good reason that we speak from positions that do not belong to the “time of Miłosz” chronologically any more? … I will ask about the possibilities of critical reading of Miłosz – which means why Miłosz has so many outstanding exegetes, but he does not have his strong revisionist deinterpreter.’
Krzysztof Siwczyk – a poet, an employee of the Mikołowski Institute, a reviewer (he collaborates, among others, with the Polityka weekly). He has recently published the poetry volume Dokąd bądź [To Anywhere] (2014) and the book Kinkiety w piekle. Felietony, teksty, rozmowy [Armand Lamps in Hell. Columns, Texts, Conversations] (2012). He wrote: ‘I feel that the attitude of the contemporary Polish poet to important cultural, historical, political and civilisation problems whose model sketch is presented in Miłosz’ works such as Tygrys [The Tiger] is not longer so significant and should not be regarded as an attitude to constantly different problems and constantly different contemporary times. Faced with the essential evolution of poetry, which was deprived of the virtue of linguistic transparency once and for all, …, we must take into account the modest possibilities of lyric poetry today.’
Piotr Śliwiński – a professor at the Institute of Polish Philology of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, the creator and curator of the Poznań Poetów Festival, the chairman of the jury of the Gdynia Literary Award. He has recently published a collection of critical essays Horror poeticus (2012). He wrote: ‘… the space where should look for Miłosz is not necessary an individual poem – sometimes it can also be the sphere of poets’ dilemmas. … and here is the place of Miłosz – this is where the most important games are and will be played with him; not for the place vacated by the alpha poet – actually, he never was one – but for the matter of utmost importance: the very principle of poetry in the contemporary world.’
Marta Wyka – a professor of the Faculty of Polish Studies of the Jagiellonian University. A critic and historian of literature. She has recently published, among others, the monograph Miłosz i rówieśnicy. Domknięcie formacji [Miłosz and His Contemporaries. Closure of the Formation] (2013), in which she wrote: ‘Chronological “grandchildren” of the poet … have started the “liquidation process”. … This process continues, and various drafts of sentences are prepared, although it is not quite clear which instance would have to approve such a sentence. It drags out in time, and perhaps it is the time that will ultimately approve or cancel this sentence.’
Partners:
Krakow Literature Foundation
Chair of Contemporary Criticism of the Faculty of Polish Studies of the Jagiellonian University