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Polish Literary Season in London -
26 March - 30 May 2003, organised by the Polish Cultural Institute
For this spring the Polish Cultural Institute has prepared an exciting Polish Literary Season, which includes an evening with the writer Olga Tokarczuk, a UK tour of Polish poets launching the anthology Altered State: The New Polish Poetry, screenings of films on Polish literary figures (Czesław Miłosz, Stefan Chwin and Rafał Wojaczek), a British premiere of the play Helver's Night by Ingmar Villqist, as well as readings of Silesian poets in London, Cardiff and Bristol.
Polish Cultural Institute
INSTYTUT KULTURY POLSKIEJ
34, Portland Place, London W1B 1HQ.
tel: 0870 774 2900 fax: 020 7637 2190
e-mail: pci@polishculture.org.uk www.polishculture.org.uk
Press release
Polish Literary Season - 26th March - 30th May 2003
In March the Polish Cultural Institute is bringing to London Olga Tokarczuk, one of Poland's most popular and talented contemporary writers, who will discuss her prize-winning novel House of Day, House of Night, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones and published by Granta Books last year. House of Day, House of Night is a wonderfully funny and poetic tapestry of myths and dreams, local recipes, gossip and stories.
This April four Polish poets: Julia Fiedorczuk, Marzanna Kielar, Tadeusz Pióro and Andrzej Sosnowski will be reading in London, Brighton, Cambridge, Nottingham, Manchester and Beverley to launch Altered State: The New Polish Poetry - the first bilingual anthology of this kind to appear in the UK (ARC Publications, 2003). Altered State: The New Polish Poetry, edited by Rod Mengham, Tadeusz Pióro and Piotr Szymor, breaks new ground in the English-speaking world by publishing translations of poems by Polish writers all under the age of forty-five, and reflects the range of different writing practices that have flourished in various parts of Poland over the last fifteen years.
Also in April we will be showing documentaries on Polish literature: Stefan Chwin -- the archeologist of memory and Czeslaw Miłoszs history of Polish literature of the 20th century by Ewa Pytka at the Polish Cultural Institute, whereas in May at the Barbican Cinema there will be an opportunity to see the acclaimed Wojaczek by Lech Majewski, which tells the story of the cult Polish poet of 1960's - Rafał Wojaczek.
The rebellious poet Rafał Wojaczek is played by one of the best Polish poets of the new generation, Krzysztof Siwczyk, and the script for the film was written by another well known poet, Maciej Melecki. Both poets will introduce the film on 15th May, and take part in readings in London, Cardiff and Bristol together with their Silesian colleagues Bartłomiej Majzel and Marta Podgórnik. All four poets from the region of Silesia will be reading from the new anthology Altered State: The New Polish Poetry (ARC Publications 2003, see above).
New Polish drama will be represented by the acclaimed Helvers Night by Ingmar Villqist, a Polish playwright from Silesia, who will visit London for this UK premiere. Helver's Night is a powerful and moving drama about tolerance and the right to be different, and has played in major theatres all over Poland and Europe. It opens in London at the White Bear Theatre on May 6th, produced by Brit-Pol Theatre Company and directed by Peter Czajkowski.
For further information and possible interview dates, please contact Agnieszka Ginko on 0870 7742 911 or e-mail her at agaginko@polishculture.org.uk
Biographic information:
Olga Tokarczuk (b.1962), writer, lives and works in the countryside near Nowa Ruda, southwest Poland, a place of shifting borders and identities. Originally published in 1998, House of Day, House of Night is her first work to appear in English. House of Day, House of Night is the winner of the prestigious NIKE award - Poland's most important literary prize.
Julia Fiedorczuk (b.1975), poet and translator, is completing her PHD on the poet Laura Riding. She teaches American literature and literary theory at the English Department at the University of Warsaw. She is currently on a Fulbright scholarship at Cornell University, NY, USA.
Marzanna Kielar (b. 1963), poet, is adjunct professor at the Academy of Special Pedagogy. She has received many prestigious awards for her poetry, including the Kościelski Foundation Prize (Geneva 1993). In 2002 she was awarded a scholarship from the International Writing Programme at the University of Iowa, USA.
Tadeusz Pióro (b.1960), poet and translator, co-edits Dwukropek magazine (with Andrzej Sosnowski). His translations into English include a selection of Tadeusz Borowski's poems, published in 1990 by the Hit and Run Press in California, USA. He is also adjunct professor of American Literature at the English Department at the University of Warsaw. Together with Rod Mengham and Piotr Szymor, he has edited the anthology Altered State: The New Polish Poetry (Arc Publications, 2003).
Andrzej Sosnowski (b.1959), poet and translator, works as an editor for Literatura na Świecie monthly. His translations include selected Cantos by Ezra Pound, selected poems by John Ashbery and Ronald Firbank's The Flower Beneath the Foot. His forthcoming book of poems, Taxi, will be published by Biuro Literackie this spring.
Ewa Pytka (b.1964) is a director, screenwriter, journalist, dramatist and poet. Since 1994 she has directed 50 productions in various genres for the Polish TV.
Ingmar Villqist (b. 1960) is a playwright, art historian and founder of Kriket Theatre Company in ChorzÓw. Villqist is currently the most popular young Polish playwright. He has written several plays that are now regularly performed in Polish theatres: Oscar and Ruth, Helvers Night, Entartete Kunst, Little Helmut, and a cycle of one-act plays: The Anerobes. He also conducts workshops for young playwrights at the Centre for Dramaturgy in Poznan and is the resident playwright at the Polski Theatre in Poznan.
Bartłomiej Majzel (b. 1974), poet, lives in Katowice, where he works as an organiser of the annual arts and literature festival - the Upper Silesian Arts Festival. He is a world traveller of some renown and has traversed on foot much of the Gobi desert. a bench in his honour is to be erected somewhere in the Sahara.
Maciej Melecki (b. 1969), poet, lives in Mikołów, where he works at the Mikołów Institute, a cultural foundation established in the former home of Rafał Wojaczek, a cult Polish poet of 1960s. He is a co-editor of Arcadia, a literary journal published by the Mikołów Institute
Marta Podgórnik (b. 1978), poet, lives in Gliwice, where she runs a bar called 'Desperado'. She has published two collections of poems.
Krzysztof Siwczyk (b.1977), poet, lives in Gliwice and works, together with Maciej Melecki, at the Mikołów Institute of Rafał Wojaczek. He played the award-winning role of the rebellious poet Rafał Wojaczek in Lech Majewski's 1999 biographical film. He is co-editor of Arcadia, a jounal published by the the Mikołów Institute.
For more information and possible interview dates, please contact Agnieszka Ginko on 0870 7742 911 or e-mail her at agaginko@polishculture.org.uk
Listings:
Wednesday 26th March, 7pm
In English, Polish Cultural Institute
34 Portland Place, London W1B 1HQ
Admission free, reservations: tel 0870 7742 902
An evening with Olga Tokarczuk plus the documentary Travels of Olga Tokarczuk by Ewa Pytka (36 min, 1996, with English subtitles).
2nd-10th April
UK readings
by Julia Fiedorczuk, Marzanna Kielar, Tadeusz Pióro and Andrzej Sosnowski launching Altered State: The New Polish Poetry (ARC Publications, 2003). All readings in English and Polish
Wednesday, 2nd April
7.30pm, Barbican Library
Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS
Admission free. Tickets: tel. 020 7638 0569
Thursday, 3rd April
7.45pm, Grand Central, Surrey Street, Brighton
Tickets: 5, 3 conc. available from
THE SOUTH
Tel: 01273 242850,
Email: co-ordinator@thesouth.org.uk
Promoted by The South www.thesouth.org.uk
Friday, 4th April
6pm, Heffers Booksellers
20 Trinity Street, Cambridge CB2 1TY
Admission free.
For further information ring Andrew Sharp on 01223 568520 or e-mail andrew.sharp@heffers.co.uk
Tuesday, 8th April
7.30pm, Central Library cafe
Angel Row, Nottingham.
Tickets: 4, 3 conc. (including Polish snacks) on the door. For further information ring Ross Bradshaw on 0115 9774435.
Thursday, 10th April
1pm, Central Library
Reception Room, 2nd floor
St Peter Square
Manchester M2 5PD
Admission free.
For further information, ring Libby Tempest on 0161 234 1981
Thursday, 10th April
8pm, St Mary's Church
North Bar Within
Beverley HU17, Yorkshire
Tickets: 4, 3 conc.
For further information, ring John Clarke on 078705 84889
Wednesday 9th April
In English, Polish Cultural Institute
34 Portland Place, W1B 1HQ
Admission free, reservations: tel 0870 7742 902
Stefan Chwin -- the archeologist of memory
(58 mins, 2000, with English subtitles)
Czeslaw Miłoszs history of Polish literature of the 20th century (57 mins, 1999, with English subtitles)
Introduced by director, Ewa Pytka
6th- 25th May, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, Sun 4pm
Helver's Night by Ingmar Villqist
White Bear Theatre, 138 Kennington Park Road
London SE11. Tube: Kennington
Box Office: 020 7793 9193 (Tickets 9 & 6)
Dir.: Peter Czajkowski (Brit-Pol Theatre Co.)
May 2003
Readings in London, Cardiff and Bristol by four Silesian poets: Bartłomiej Majzel, Maciej Melecki, Marta Podgórnik and Krzysztof Siwczyk. In co-operation woith Cardiff 2008. For more information, please ring Agnieszka Ginko on 0870 7742 911.
Thursday 15th May, 8.30pm
Barbican Cinema, Silk Street, London EC2Y
tel. 020 7382 7000
Wojaczek by Lech Majewski
(1999, 89min, with English subtitles)
Introduced by the main actor, poet Krzysztof Siwczyk and the scriptwritter, poet Maciej Melecki.
For further information and possible interview dates, please contact Agnieszka Ginko on
0870 7742 911 or e-mail her at agaginko@polishculture.org.uk
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