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Krakow celebrates the 95th birthday of Stanisław Lem

A walk in the footsteps of Stanisław Lem, screening of The Congress and a debate The Futurological Congress, or the world in the system of universal charity – this is how Krakow will celebrate the birthday of Stanisław Lem on the 10th and 12th of September. The writer, whose works have been read by generations of readers around the world, and after whom a planetoid and the first Polish scientific satellite were named, would celebrate his 95th birthday on the 12th of September 2016.

Stanisław Lem – a watchful observer of contemporary times and a bard of technological development, who rarely left home. The writer of dozens of novels, short stories, essays and articles, known for his sharp tongue, often compared to H. G. Wells, certainly achieved very much. His novels were translated into 41 languages and sold over 30 million copies worldwide. Some of them were brought to the silver screen and adapted into radio plays. The majority of them were written in his flat in Krakow.

On the 10th of September, a birthday walk in the footsteps of Stanisław Lem will take place, during which Elżbieta Binswanger-Stefańska will tell the participants about the places in Krakow connected with the writer. Two days later, on the 12th of September, a debate on the Futurological Congress – a short story released by Lem in 1971 – will take place in ICE Kraków Congress Centre. The discussion The Futurological Congress, or the world in the system of universal charity about the contemporary political and social contexts of Lem’s text will feature: Wojciech Zemek (long-term secretary of the writer) and Prof. Piotr Popik, Ph. D. (Institute of Pharmacology of the Polish Academy of Sciences). The meeting will be conducted by Elżbieta Binswanger-Stefańska (SWOR Association), and the fragments of the Futurological Congress will be read by Ziuta Zającówna.

The debate will be accompanied by the screening of The Congress (2013) – an international co-production based on the prose by Stanisław Lem, which won the European Film Award.

The event is organised by: Krakow Festival Office, Krakow UNESCO City of Literature, SWOR Association, Wydawnictwo Literackie and Legalna Kultura.

Programme

10th of September / In the afternoon:

A birthday walk in the footsteps of Stanisław Lem

  • Host: Elżbieta Binswanger-Stefańska
  • Sign-ups: via e-mail at swor@swor.pl (Subject: A walk with Lem)
  • Duration: 60 minutes
  • Number of participants: 25

12th of September, start at 18:00 (admission free)

Screening of The Congress (2013, dir. Ari Folman)

(Chamber Hall, ICE Krakow Congress Centre)

Debate: The Futurological Congress, or the world in the system of universal charity

  • Guests: Wojciech Zemek, Prof. Piotr Popik, Ph. D.
  • Host: Elżbieta Binswanger-Stefańska
  • Fragments of the Futurological Congress will be read by Ziuta Zającówna

Event on facebook – click here

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