Polish writers are Nobel laureates. Polish literature in Russia
Polish literature originated back in the distant 12th century. from chronicles and annals and has been constantly evolving since then. For today literary heritage Poland is huge, and Polish writers and poets are known throughout the world. We have prepared 10 popular books by Polish authors of different genres and eras that are worth reading.
1. “With Fire and Sword” Henryk Sienkiewicz
("Ogniem i mieczem" Henryk Sienkiewicz)
“The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was devastated, and Ukraine was devastated. Wolves howled on the ruins of cities; a recently flourishing land turned into a gigantic tomb.”
“By Fire and Sword” is the first part of a historical trilogy, which also includes the books “The Flood” and “Pan Volodyovsky”. The novel was written in 1884-1888. The book describes the events of the Ukrainian-Polish war of 1648 - 1657 under the leadership of Bohdan Khmelnytsky. However, the main storyline is the love story of Jan Skshetuski and Elena Kurtsevich.
The famous Polish director Jerzy Goffman made a film of the same name based on the novel. main role in which Ukrainian actor Bohdan Stupka played.
2. "Dziady" Adam Mickiewicz
("Dziady" Adam Mickiewicz)
"Dziady" is a poem by one of greatest poets Poland by Adam Mickiewicz, written around 1822-1823. As the author himself writes, dzyady is an ancient folk ritual, during which the dead are remembered. It is based on the pagan cult of ancestors (grandfathers), which the church tried in vain to eradicate. People began to hold dzyads secretly, at night in cemeteries and abandoned houses. They called upon restless souls with the hope of helping them find eternal peace.
3. “Loneliness on the Internet” Janusz Wisniewski
("S@motność w sieci" Janusz Leon Wiśniewski)
"Of all that is eternal, love has the shortest life"
"Loneliness on the Internet" is the first novel by today's popular Polish writer Janusz Wisniewski, published in 2001. The events of the novel take place in the mid-90s. The main characters of the book meet on the Internet. They communicate, fall in love, live part of their lives through online correspondence, and only then meet in Paris, where they face various challenges.
4. "Solaris" Stanislav Lem
("Solaris" Stanislaw Lem)
This is a fantasy novel by the famous Polish science fiction writer Stanislaw Lem, which was first published in 1961. Solaris is an exoplanet (that is, a planet that drifts in outer space). The novel takes place in the distant future. Dr. Chris Kelvin arrives on this planet, concerned about the psychological state of the expedition members research station on Solaris. Stanislaw Lem's novel shook up the world of science fiction and made a significant impact on the development of it. literary genre. The book has been translated into more than thirty languages. Three films were made based on it.
5. “The Barbarian in the Garden” Zbigniew Herbert
("Barbarzyńca w ogrodzie" Zbigniew Herbert)
Zbigniew Herbert is a famous Polish poet and playwright, born in 1924 in Lviv and lived here until 1944, from where he left for Krakow. The owner of many literary awards, Knight of the Order of the White Eagle - highest award Poland.
The collection of poems "The Barbarian in the Garden" was written in 1958-1960 and dedicated to European culture. Here you will find a description of the masterpieces of Paleolithic mural painting in the Lascaux cave, visit ancient Roman architectural monuments and Gothic temples, see the fall of the Templars and become more familiar with the work of the Italian artist Piero della Francesca.
6. "Emperor" Ryszard Kapuscinski
("Cesarz" Ryszard Kapuściński)
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World bestseller. Ryszard Kapuscinski's book "The Emperor" is a story-report written based on real events. The work describes the life of the last emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Sellasie I, who reigned from 1930-1975 and was killed by revolutionaries. The author, without any embellishment, exposes the intrigues in the imperial court, the struggle for power, meanness, fear, greed - what remained behind the scenes of Haile's reign.
7. "Lviv Mathematical School" Mariusz Urbanek
("Lwowska szkoła matematyczna" Mariusz Urbanek)
Stefan Banach, Vladislav Orlich, Hugo Steinhaus, Stanislav Ulyam, Mark Katz, Hermann Auerbach and many other scientists created the so-called school of mathematics in Lviv during the interwar years. This was a group of mathematicians who met together in the "Scottish Cafe" in Lvov during 1918 - 1941, where they discussed various mathematical problems and made many discoveries. These were outstanding scientists whose fates developed differently during the war years. Their scientific activity, great discoveries and a turbulent personal life, which in most cases ended from Nazi bullets, are described in his novel by Mariusz Urbanek.
8. "Cinnamon Stores" by Bruno Schulz
("Sklepy cynamonowe" Bruno Schulz)
Bruno Schulz - Polish writer and artist of Ukrainian-Jewish origin, born and lived in Drohobych (1892 - 1942), died in the Gestapo. One of his most famous works is the collection of short stories "Cinnamon Shops", published in 1933 in Warsaw. The stories describe events from simple life merchant family, living in a small Galician town, where you can easily recognize hometown author - Drohobych. The story is told on behalf of a young guy and the reader has the opportunity to look at the world through his eyes.
9. “Galicians” Stanislav Alexander Novak
("Galicyanie" Stanislaw Aleksander Nowak)
"The Galicians" is another Polish novel on historical topics. It covers events from 1812 to 1915, which mainly take place in the Galician village of Zaborow near Rzeszow. Actually, the villagers are the main characters of the novel, whose fates are determined by the tragic pages of history, because the 19th and early 20th centuries are replete with wars and uprisings. At different times, Austrian, Russian, French and Polish troops passed through the village.
"Galicians" is an extraordinary story in which joy is combined with sadness, and life is constantly struggling with death. Colorful characters, descriptions of historical realities, and, above all, living language, with its inherent dialectisms, allow you to feel the atmosphere of Galicia in the 19th century.
10. “Mother Leaves” Tadeusz Ruzewicz
("Matka odchodzi" Tadeusz Różewicz)
Tadeusz Ruzewicz is one of the most famous contemporary Polish writers in the world, winner of numerous awards, honorary doctor of many Polish universities. One of his many works is this poetry collection"Mother Leaves", published in 1999, for which the author received a Nike award (prestigious Polish literary prize, which is provided for the most significant Polish book year) in 2000.
This is a kind of memory book that reflects the spiritual relationship between son and mother.
The Ukrainian classic of literature wrote in one of his poems that one should learn both one’s own and that of others. These words of Taras Shevchenko should be taken not so much as general parting words, as much as specific advice to everyone who is learning a foreign language today.
To successfully enter another cultural space you need not only to speak the language, but also to know the heritage of this country. Therefore, "Rozmovlai" selected the names of the best contemporary Polish writers. If you accidentally remember the works of these authors, you will immediately enter the close circle of friends of any Pole.
Soul-chilling riddles
If you like books that increase the adrenaline rush, and the brain is actively looking for a solution, then modern Polish literature is replete with a number of authoritative names.
Marek Krajewski- the writer’s work combines elements of black detective and horror. The novel "Śmierć w Breslau" has already been translated into 18 languages, and in 2016 a new book by the author entitled "Mock" was published.
Zygmunt Miłoszewski- the brightest name in the world of Polish detective. Horror "Domofon", a series of novels about Commissioner Szacki "Uwikłanie", "Ziarno prawdy", thriller "Bezcenny" and many other novels await the reader on the bookshelves.
Katarzyna Bonda- the writer introduced a new type of hero into the Polish detective story. Hubert Meyer, a police psychologist who helps solve criminal cases, has become a favorite character of modern Polish readers. This character appears in the novels "Sprawa Niny Frank", "Tylko martwi nie kłamią" and "Florystce", as well as occasionally in "Okularnik".
Remigiusz Mróz- the novel “Rewizja” stands out for its multidimensionality, because it forces you to solve more than one riddle. In 2016, the writer became a laureate of the leading Polish prize for the novel “Kasacja”.
About feelings and relationships
If detective stories are not your thing, you can easily find authors who create more sensual literature. Polish writers of this genre will not only delight you with high-quality texts, but will also enchant you with their varied stories.
Janusz L. Wiśniewski- the author stands out with an interesting look at the feelings between a man and a woman. Our readers know the writer thanks to the novel "Samotność w sieci", but why not read a good book in the original. Released in 2016 new novel"Udręki braku pożądania".
Krystyna Mirek- The books of this writer are special in that they always have a happy ending. We recommend the novel “Hunting for Butterflies” - a smile after reading is guaranteed!
Or maybe we can dream up?
If you love science fiction or fantasy, then Polish authors have proven themselves to the maximum in this area. Books of this genre have long gone beyond the borders of Poland, and we're talking about not only about the iconic Stanislaw Lem.
Andrzej Sapkowski- it is this writer who is today an authority in the world of Polish science fiction. Andrzej Sapkowski is the creator of the Witcher character, based on which films, comics and computer games. The writer’s work is rich, but you can start with “Wiedźmin”, “Krew elfów”, “Sezon burz”.
Andrzej Pilipiuk- author of a series of satirical and mystical stories about Jakeb Wendrovich, which captivated readers around the world. Andrzej is considered the creator of the social-satirical trend in Polish science fiction. We recommend "Czarownik Iwanow", but you should also pay attention to the 2016 book "Konan destylator".
Jacek Piekara- the work of this writer is popular among readers and is recognized among literary critics. It’s worth starting your acquaintance with the debut story “Wszystkie twarze szatana”, also don’t miss “Labirynt”, “Łowcy dusz”, etc.
These are just a few interesting authors of modern Poland. "Rozmovlyai" recommends it, as you will not only have a good time reading their works, but you will also be able to easily find mutual language with the Poles! "Rozmovlyai" guarantees! For anyone who plans to connect their life with literature, we recommend
Polish writers may not be so well known to Russian readers. However, the classical layer of literature of this country is very original and especially dramatic. Perhaps this is due to tragic fate of the Polish people, many centuries of conquest and division of lands, with the Nazi invasion, the destruction of the country and its difficult restoration from the ruins.
However, Polish writers are also known to us on the other hand, as the brightest representatives of such popular genres as science fiction and ironic detective. Let's talk about the most notable Polish writers of the 20th and 21st centuries, whose fame went beyond the borders of their native country.
Sienkiewicz Henryk
At the end of the 19th century, Sienkiewicz became the most famous Polish writer. Books by Polish writers are not often awarded major world prizes, but in 1905 Sienkiewicz received one for his entire literary work.
One of his most famous works is the historical saga “With Fire and Sword,” which tells about the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1894, he wrote his next landmark work, Quo Vadis, in the Russian translation “Kamo Gryadeshi”. This novel about the Roman Empire secures Sienkiewicz's fame as a master of the historical genre in literature. To this day, this novel remains very popular and is translated into various languages. His next work was the novel “Crusaders” about the attacks of the Teutonic Order on Poland.
With the outbreak of World War I, Sienkiewicz went to Switzerland, where he died in 1916 and was buried there. Later his remains were reburied in Warsaw.
Lem Stanislav
The Polish futurist writer is familiar to the whole world. His pen includes such famous works, like “Solaris”, “Eden”, “Voice of the Lord” and others.
He was born in 1921 in the city of Lviv, which was then Polish. During the German occupation, he miraculously escaped the ghetto thanks to forged documents. After the end of World War II, he moved to Krakow under the repatriation program, where he studied to become a doctor. In 46, Lem published his first story, and already in 51 his debut novel “Astronauts” was published, which instantly made him famous.
All the writer’s work can be divided into several groups. One is serious works in the spirit of science fiction. The other was written by him as a satirical writer. These are grotesque works such as “Cyberiad” and “Peace on Earth”.
Gombrowicz Witold
This is a Polish playwright from the 50s-60s of the 20th century. His first major novel, “Ferdydurka,” created a great resonance. He shared forever literary world Poland on fans and critics of his work, among whom were other Polish writers.
A month before the start of World War II, Gombrowicz sails on a boat to Argentina, where he experiences exile terrible years war. After the end of hostilities, the writer realizes that his work has been forgotten at home, but it is not easy to gain fame abroad either. Only in the mid-50s did his old works begin to be reprinted in Poland.
In the 60s, popularity returned to him, largely thanks to the new novels “Cosmos” and “Pornography”, which were published in France. In the history of world literature, Witold Gombrowicz remained a master of words and a philosopher, who more than once entered into an argument with history.
Vishnevsky Janusz
Few contemporary Polish writers are as famous in the world as Janusz Wisniewski. Despite the fact that he now lives in Frankfurt am Main, his works are always colored by the unique charm of Polish prose, its drama and lyricism.
Vishnevsky’s debut novel “Loneliness on the Internet” about virtual love literally blew up the world. For three years the book was a bestseller, it was filmed and translated into many languages.
Khmelevskaya Ioanna
The works of Mrs. Khmelevskaya are not considered to be high true literature, and it is not surprising, since her genre is - However, one cannot deny her fame. Khmelevskaya’s books became so popular not only because of the intrigue and clever twists detective stories, but also the charm of its heroes. main character many books were copied from the author - brave, ironic, smart, gambling, Mrs. Joanna did not leave anyone indifferent. Khmelevskaya copied the rest from her friends, relatives and colleagues. By the will of her imagination, many became victims or criminals and, as they later noted with a laugh, could not get rid of the imposed image.
Her own life gave her many subjects - love stories, dizzying meetings, travel and much less pleasant events of the Second World War, the occupation of Warsaw, the difficult economic fate of the country. All this brought into her books that living language and sharp humor that spread far beyond the borders of her native country.
As for literature, the Poles actually have something to be proud of: the Nobel Prize has been awarded to authors from this country four times! But, even without knowing the names of the laureates, we can say with confidence that the name Henryk Sienkiewicz is still heard by fans historical novel. Film adaptations of the works of this outstanding writer inspired more than one heart to take up reading, because no matter how well the director conveys the writer’s idea, the reader’s imagination does it incomparably better!
Getting to know Polish poetry and prose opens the soul amazing people, which was able to survive the Swedish flood, the assertiveness of the Germans, and the pressure of Muscovy, despite the greedy desire of the invaders to enslave the free spirit and dignity of the proud successors of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth!
Loneliness on the Internet
Janusz Leon Wisniewski wrote his debut novel “Loneliness on the Internet” during a difficult period of divorce from his wife. The book became a kind of pillow for the outpouring of emotions that overwhelmed the soul. And as happens quite often in the writing world, it was the flurry of worries that helped to reveal the talent that was hidden in the depths of the essence of a doctor in the field of chemistry. The novel describes the virtual love story of Yakub and his nameless acquaintance. If real life main characters takes place in the material world, then the manifestation of the most strong feelings and the development of romantic relationships – in the Internet space. A date in Paris is a consequence of communication on the Internet. Life outside the computer tests the strength of the relationship between Jakub and the object of his love. In 2006, the novel, which became a bestseller, was released as a film.
The Witcher
Andrzej Sapkowski, author of the Witcher novel series, prefers to work in popular genre fantasy. He wrote his first work at the age of about forty, but this did not prevent him, however, from gaining recognition not only in home country, but also far beyond. Geralt of Rivia, who is the main character of the Witcher saga series, hunts monsters to save lives ordinary people from the danger that threatens them, thus earning their living. Geralt’s unusual data, which sets him apart from other fighters, is a consequence of mutations. There is also a place for love in the novel: Ciri, the young princess of the kingdom of Cintra, the betrothed of the witcher, needs the protection and patronage of Geralt, because the prophecy says that the child born from her will receive incredible power and authority. But the girl knows how to stand up for herself: wielding a sword and knowing magical secrets are Ciri’s hidden resources.
Crusaders
Despite the fact that Tatar and Belarusian blood flows in Henryk Sienkiewicz’s veins, his reverent love for Poland and the Poles can be traced in each of his works, and the historical novel “The Crusaders” was no exception. This book was first published in 1900, when the author turned 54 years old. In addition to its highly artistic value, the novel “Crusaders” pursues specific political goals. The development of events takes place against the background of the hostility of the Crusader Order towards the Poles: the parallel between the Middle Ages and the events of the time the work was written is obvious. The love of the Polish knight Zbyszko from Bogdanets for the beautiful noblewoman Danusa becomes the root cause of his hatred of the Teutons, who killed the girl’s mother. The oath of vengeance is the starting point of numerous and cruel tests of strength of a bright feeling.
Doll
Before becoming a book, this social and everyday novel, authored by Polish prose writer Boleslaw Prus, was published in a newspaper for two years. In the center of the work is the life and love of Stanislav Vokulsky, who, thanks to his hard work and abilities, and subsequently his deep feeling for the aristocrat Isabella, goes up the social ladder from the very bottom to the very top. However, high society, in the person of the girl’s father, treats the upstart with contempt, although it is not at all ashamed to use the capital acquired by the former sex for its own purposes. Boleslav Prus contrasts the nobility and breadth of soul of the “trader” Vokulsky with the low soul of Kazek Starsky, with whom Isabella’s relatives predict a worthy match for her. Because of a rash and frivolous statement, a flirtatious aristocrat loses Vokulsky’s love forever: the game is over, the “doll” has finally realized its role...
Flood
After successful publication in three Polish newspapers in 1886, Henryk Sienkiewicz's novel was published in book form. The name of the three-volume book was given by the Swedish invasion of the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the consequences of which historians and eyewitnesses compared with the catastrophic horrors of the water element. By an amazing coincidence, the fate of the beautiful Olenka is miraculously intertwined with the fate of the daring cornet Andrzej Kmicic. Naturally, a spark runs between the young people. The dissolute and eccentric character of the gentleman and future groom of the blue-eyed lady pushes him to a rash crime, which becomes an insurmountable obstacle to their love. The desire to atone for his guilt and the desire to regain Olenka’s favor prompt Andrzej to stand up for the defense of his Fatherland. The gullible and impetuous young man is misled, and he ends up on the Swedish side, thereby losing his last hope of returning to his beloved’s favor. Only a real feeling, in spite of all the machinations, acquires the strength of tempered iron from going through trials: the young man has to prove his loyalty to the Fatherland and his beloved with his blood...
With fire and sword
The year of publication of the magazine version of the historical novel “With Fire and Sword”, which belongs to the talent of Henryk Sienkiewicz, coincides with the year of publication of this work in book form - 1884. We can say that this genre acquired another outstanding author, because the subsequent work of the Polish writer proved his worth in this area fiction. Love relationship between the young officer Jan Skshetuski and Princess Helena fall during turbulent times - the period of the Cossack rebellion against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth under the leadership of Bohdan Zinovy Khmelnitsky. Although the Pole’s feelings find a response in Elena’s heart, the second admirer, Cossack Lieutenant Colonel Bohun, builds all sorts of intrigues on the way to unite the lovers.
Guys
Vladislav Reymont received the Nobel Prize at the age of 57 precisely for his novel “Men,” thereby once again proving that everything ingenious is simple. Rural life and the life of peasants was very close to Vladislav Reymont, perhaps this was the reason for his ability to convey on paper the whole gamut of shades of peasant character. The events of the novel directly depend on the change of seasons: the work is divided into four parts, in accordance with the seasons. Vivid images characters, lively narrative language and heartfelt love for ordinary people do not leave even the most callous reader indifferent. According to all the rules of the genre, the plot of "Men" is tied to love story – forbidden passion between Yagna Pachest and her stepson Antek Boryna.
Kamo is coming
The historical novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz “Kamo khryadeshi” was created by the author over the course of two years. World fame The work had an unconditional influence on the awarding of the Nobel Prize to the Polish writer in 1905. Although in this novel Henryk Sienkiewicz departs from traditional description historical events homeland, but even here patriotic devotion can be traced: one of the main heroines of “Kamo is coming” - royal daughter from the barbarian tribe of the Lygians, the ancestors of modern Poles, who was named Lygia in the home of her adoptive family, was given as a pledge to the Romans. The eccentric patrician Marcus Vinicius falls in love with this sophisticated beauty, not suspecting that Lygia worships the mysterious Christian God. Even the cruel Roman Empire led by Nero falls before the new teaching, because love is stronger than hatred, and purity is higher than immorality! The depraved heart of the young man can no longer resist the depth of the faith of the martyrs, and the barrier between the Roman and the Lygian, erected by pagan prejudices, turns into rubble...
Pan Tadeusz
Adam Mickiewicz's epic poem, which he wrote over two years, is his largest work. The author, with pedantic precision, conveys in rhymed lines the life of Polish society on the eve of Napoleon’s invasion of Russian territory. The description of the gentry's pastime is conveyed in such detail that Mickiewicz's contemporaries considered the poem "Pan Tadeusz" a source of encyclopedic knowledge. The love between Tadeusz and Zosia, which grows and strengthens against the backdrop of patriotic feelings and military events, ultimately finds a happy and beautiful ending.
Wedding
The Polish poet and playwright Stanislaw Wyspianski wrote the play “The Wedding” under the impression of his friend’s wedding, which he happened to attend. In this work, the author not only ironizes about the morals of his contemporaries, but also predicts the realization of the dream of a free and independent Poland, despite the failure and philistine vulgarity of the intelligentsia exalted above the people. Fantastic characters mixed with real representatives of Polish society endow the play with allegorical symbolism.
In the desert and in the forest
Henryk Sienkiewicz also revealed himself as a youth writer in the adventure story “In the Desert and Forest.” The events of the work develop in Egypt, where at this time the construction of the Suez Canal is taking place, designed to unite two seas - the Red and the Mediterranean. Two widowed father-engineers are working on the project - the Pole Vladislav and the Englishman George, their children become the cause and consequence of the development of events when, by a whim of fate, they find themselves hostage by the Arabs. Stas and Nel are left alone with their misfortune and are forced to look for a way out of the current circumstances, relying only on their ingenuity, but the jungle, animals, and metamorphoses of capricious nature await them, even the ubiquitous slave traders are not averse to grabbing the “tidbit”...
Solaris
Stanislaw Lem is perhaps the most famous Polish science fiction writer. His novel Solaris, published in 1961, still excites the minds and hearts of readers with its mystery and unpredictability of the plot. In the depths of the Universe there is a planet where the only living inhabitant is the ocean, capable of thinking and acting. The study of this intelligent object comes to a standstill due to the inaccessibility of the language of the ocean human understanding, and only Dr. Chris Kelvin is still trying to find common ground with a liquid substance that has the insane ability to materialize the most intimate human memories...
Four Polish writers have won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Who are they and who might be next? Since the establishment of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1901, Polish writers have won it four times. If the Nobel Prize in Literature were a competition between teams different countries, Poland would have ranked eighth, behind Sweden, Italy, Russia and Spain and ahead of Ireland, Norway and Japan. If we add writers born in Poland, the list would be much longer. It would also include such names as: Shmuel Joseph Agnon (born in Buczacz, wrote in Hebrew), Bashevis-Singer (born in Leontzin, wrote in Yiddish) and Günther Grass (born in Gdansk, wrote in German). And we will limit ourselves to those who wrote in Polish.
1905: Henryk Sienkiewicz
Despite popular belief, Henryk Sienkiewicz did not receive the Nobel Prize for his 1896 epic novel about ancient Rome"Quo Vadis". The reason for this error lies in the enormous popularity of the novel. The jury awarded Sienkiewicz the Prize for “outstanding talent as an epic writer,” and when Carl David af Wiersen, secretary of the Swedish Academy, presented him with the award, he several times emphasized the importance and significance of another of Sienkiewicz’s works, “Deluge.” This historical trilogy, set in 17th-century Poland during a time of great historical upheaval, celebrated the Sarmatian tradition and nourished Polish patriotic hopes. In his speech at the ceremony, Sienkiewicz emphasized that the Nobel Prize has special meaning for the son of Poland - a country that at that moment was not even on the map. The writer said in particular: They say that Poland is dead, exhausted, deprived of will, and here is proof of its life and triumph. I would like to exclaim, like Galileo, “E pur si muove” - now that the whole world has witnessed the recognition of Poland’s achievements and its genius.
1924: Reymont
Interestingly, in the early 1920s, one of Reymont’s main “Nobel” rivals was another Polish writer, Żeromski. Moreover, many believed that Żeromski had a better chance of winning the Prize, and the harsh criticism that fell on him after the release of his allegedly anti-German novel 1922 “Wind from the Sea”, together with the Germanophilia of the Swedish jury, brought Reymont ahead. The winner beat out such favorites as Thomas Mann (he had to wait another 5 years for his Prize), Maxim Gorky and Thomas Hardy. Reymont received the Prize for his four-volume "great national epic", which presented one year in the life of the peasants of a small village near Lodz. The novel was written in 1901-1908, and the Swedish translation appeared only in 1921 (another famous novel Reymont's "The Promised Land" - for which Andrzej Wajda was nominated for an Oscar - was transferred a year earlier). At that moment, Reymont was being treated in Nice and was unable to arrive in Stockholm on time for the Award ceremony, as his health condition had deteriorated sharply. The writer died in next year in Poland at the age of 58. Shortly before his death, he wrote in a letter to a friend: What an irony: Nobel Prize, money, worldwide fame— and a person for whom the need to undress becomes torture. Here it is, the quintessence of the irony of life.
1980: Czeslaw Milosz
Sweden, Nobel Prize ceremony, 1980. Czeslaw Milosz receives the Nobel Prize from the hands of the Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf. The award of the 1980 Nobel Prize in Literature to Czeslaw Milosz was regarded as political move. The jury's decision to award the Prize to the Polish emigrant poet (Milosz fled to the West in 1951 and lived in the United States since 1960) in the same year as the Polish trade union movement Solidarity appeared, was interpreted as a gesture of Western support for political changes in the socialist camp. Political notes are also palpable in the motivation for this decision: the prize is awarded to the poet who “with courageous clairvoyance showed the defenselessness of man in a world torn apart by conflicts.” At that time, Milosz was known in the West primarily as the author of “the enslaved mind.” However, such a point of view is unfair, since Milosz, perhaps more than any other Polish Nobel laureate, deserved this Prize precisely for literary creativity. In his Nobel speech, Milos avoided political topics. Instead, he centered his speech on Nils Holgerson, the protagonist of Nils's Wonderful Journey with the Wild Geese by Selma Lagerlöf, Milosz's favorite book as a child. According to Milosz, this little boy who travels on the back of a goose and looks at the world with long distance, and at the same time notices the smallest details, symbolizes the role of the poet. Expanding on this metaphor and reflecting on his favorite writers, Simon Veilly and William Blake, Milosz expressed his poetic credo: Thus both the Earth seen from above in the eternal now and the Earth in restored time can serve as material for poetry. Sixteen years after Czeslaw Milosz was awarded the Nobel Prize, the Polish poetess became its laureate.
Wislawa Szymborska
She received the award “for poetry that describes historical and biological phenomena with utmost accuracy in the context of human reality.” Compared to Milosz, Szymborska may seem like a poet of lesser intellectual stature and ambition. Her sphere is everyday life, the small joys and sorrows of an ordinary day, and all this with warm irony, has become distinctive feature her poetry. The poetess, known for her modesty and reluctance to publicity, was initially shocked by the media frenzy in connection with her being awarded the Nobel Prize (it is said that her first reaction was: “Lord, why? ...”). And yet she managed to survive the Nobel fuss (or, in her words, the Nobel tragedy) with her characteristic charm and intelligence. She started her Nobel speech words: “When you give a speech, the first phrase is considered the most important. So I’m already behind it...” For the next fifteen years until her death in 2012, Szymborska rarely appeared in public, leading a rather secluded life—apart from her interactions with friends and people close to her—. Who is next? For many years, Ruzhevich and Konvitsky were on the list of candidates for the Nobel Prize. With their deaths (in 2014 and 2015), the chances of Polish literature decreased. One of the favorites continues to be the Polish poet Adam Zagajewski, and in Lately In the context of the Nobel Prize, they started talking about Olga Tokarczuk.
