Poetry 
(b. 1992) – a poet and translator. He studied law at the University of Szczecin and graduated in philosophy from the Jagiellonian University. He…
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Poetry
Ewa Lipska
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The Book Institute offers translations of excerpts from Ewa Lipska’s works in the following languages: Dutch, Hebrew, Italian, Russian and Turkish. Interested parties are kindly invited to contact us.
(b. 1945) – a poet.
Ewa Lipska is one of the most important Polish contemporary poets. She made her debut in 1961 with poems published in Gazeta Krakowska, and her first volume of poetry, ‘Wiersze’ (Poems), came out in 1967. In 1970–80 she worked as an editor in the poetry department of Wydawnictwo Literackie Publishers in Krakow, while also working on her own poetry. In 1991, she set off for Vienna, where she served as Polish Ambassador in Austria. She is a member of the Polish and Austrian PEN Clubs.
From her debut to her latest books, Ewa Lipska has written in her characteristic, recognizable style and range of motifs. At the same time, her poetry is always fresh. The thematic concerns of her poems gradually broaden, and her images based on paradoxes, breaking apart worn turns of speech and unexpected metaphors, always gives us a new look at the world and our relationships with others, helping us name the eternal emotions and anxieties in an innovative way.
Her relationship to language – her mistrust for the abuses of public discourse, combined with a consciousness of its power as a precise tool of analysis, exposing reality for what it is – connects Lipska to other New Wave poets of her generation (Ryszard Krynicki, Stanisław Barańczak, Adam Zagajewski, Julian Kornhauser). She also shares with them a rejection of ideologised culture and a sensitivity to the language of propaganda, of communist Newspeak. Some of her poems of the 1970s have a clear political subtext, while ‘Przechowalnia ciemności’ (Darkness Storage, 1985) was released through the underground press, as its critical tone toward the times of Martial Law, though expressed with Lipska’s trademark detachment, was unacceptable to the censors of the day.
Lipska has followed her own individual path. ‘Her subjects are existential anxieties, nightmares, sickness, madness. The tone is calm, matter-of-fact, sometimes ironic. The style is precise and forceful’, wrote the great critic Jerzy Kwiatkowski upon the release of Lipska’s ‘Drugi zbior wierszy’ (Second Collection of Poems, 1970). The motif of sickness, constant threat, enduring on the brink of life and death, which was tied to her personal experience, resounds in Lipska’s early poems with special power. At the same time, Lipska was and is a poet of love, though she writes of it discreetly, detached, and utterly devoid of sentimentality.
Lipska’s poetry takes the perspective of the individual experience to insightfully diagnose the present, the crossroads of mass culture, the pitfalls of civilisation. Over a dozen volumes of poems and prose poetry in the last two decades create an astonishing panorama of the world at the turn of the millennia. And in the centre there is always that aloof, somewhat alienated, somewhat ironic, yet sensitive observer. She experiences a sense of passing and often returns to the past, though not as a safe harbour, because Arcadia never existed, and she never was innocent.
Lipska’s work has often been used by musicians as song lyrics. Her poems have been sung by Marek Grechuta, Grzegorz Turnau and Anna Szałapak. Publications of her lyrics have been released with sheet music.
Ewa Lipska has won many prestigious awards in Poland, including the Kościelski Foundation Award (1973), the Polish PEN Club Award (1992), the A. Jurzykowski Foundation Award (1993) and the Gdynia Literary Award (2011). She has been nominated several times for the Nike Literary Award: in 2004 for ‘Ja’ (I), in 2020 for ‘Miłość w trybie awaryjnym’ (Love as a Matter of Urgency) and in 2024 for her prose, ‘Wariacje Geldbergowskie’ (The Geldberg Variations). She has also received numerous distinctions abroad, including the Serbian Zlatni ključ Smedereva poetry prize (2009), the Macedonian Naim Frashëri poetry award (2010) and the European Atlas of Lyrics Award (2014). In 2005 she received the Silver Gloria Artis Medal for Service to Culture.
Bibliography
poetry:
- Wiersze, Warsaw: „Czytelnik”, 1967.
- Drugi zbiór wierszy, Warsaw: „Czytelnik”, 1970.
- Trzeci zbiór wierszy, Warsaw: „Czytelnik”, 1972.
- Czwarty zbiór wierszy, Warsaw: „Czytelnik”, 1974.
- Piąty zbiór wierszy, Warsaw: „Czytelnik”, 1978.
- Żywa śmierć, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1979.
- Przechowalnia ciemności, Warsaw: Przedświt / Warszawska Oficyna Poetów i Malarzy, 1985.
- Strefa ograniczonego postoju, Warsaw: „Czytelnik”, 1990.
- Stypendyści czasu, Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Dolnośląskie, 1994.
- Ludzie dla początkujących, Poznań: Wydawnictwo a5, 1997.
- Życie zastępcze, Cracow: WL, 1998.
- Godziny poza godzinami, Warsaw: Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, 1998.
- 1999, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1999.
- Białe truskawki, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2000.
- Sklepy zoologiczne, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2001.
- Sekwens, Warsaw: Świat Książki, 2003.
- Ja, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2003.
- Gdzie indziej, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2004.
- Drzazga, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2006.
- Pomarańcza Newtona, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2007.
- Pogłos, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2010.
- Czytnik linii papilarnych, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2015.
- Pamięć operacyjna, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie 2017.
- Miłość w trybie awaryjnym, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2019.
- Kocia trzynastka czyli sKOTland yard, Cracow–Budapest–Syrakuzy: Wydawnictwo Austeria, 2020.
selected poetry:
- Dom spokojnej młodości. Wiersze wybrane, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1979.
- Poezje wybrane, Warsaw: Ludowa Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza, 1981.
- Nie o śmierć tutaj chodzi, lecz o biały kordonek, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1982.
- Utwory wybrane, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1986.
- Wakacje mizantropa. Utwory wybrane, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1993.
- Przechowalnia ciemności i inne wiersze, Warsaw: Anagram, 1994.
- Uwaga: stopień. Wiersze wybrane, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2002.
- Wiersze wybrane, Cracow: Wydawnictwo a5, 2015.
- Nowy wybór wierszy, Cracow: Wydawnictwo a5, 2020.
prose:
- Sefer, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2009.
- Droga pani Schubert…, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2012.
- Miłość, droga pani Schubert…, Cracow: Wydawnictwo a5, 2013.
- Wariacje Geldbergowskie, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2023.
Translations
Albanian:
- Mësohu me vdekjen [Ucz się śmierci; selected poetry], trans. Mazllum Saneja, Prishtine: Sfinga, 2001.
- Unë [Ja], trans. Mazllum Saneja, Prishtine: Rozafa, 2006.
Belarussian
- Dzień usich żywych [selected poetry], trans. Andrzej Chadanowicz, Minsk: Logwinaj, 2015.
Bosnian:
- Tu [wybór z tomów: Pomarańcza Newtona, Sefer, Sklepy zoologiczne], trans. Marina Trumić, Sarajewo: Connetum, 2010.
Bulgarian:
- Ваканциите на мизантропа [Wakacje mizantropa. Utwory wybrane], trans. Wiera Dejanowa, Sofija: Literaturen Forum, 1994.
- Портокалът на Нютон [Pomarańcza Newtona i inne wiersze], trans. Wiera Dejanowa, Sofija: Stigmati, 2011.
- Скъпа госпожо Шуберт… [Droga pani Szubert…], trans. Wiera Dejanowa, Sofija: Izdatelstwo za poezja DA, 2014.
- До последен дъх [wybór z tomów: Czytnik linii papilarnych, Pamięć operacyjna], trans. Wiera Dejanowa, Sofija: Izdatelstwo „Ergo”, 2018.
Catalan:
- Eixida d’emergència [selected poetry], trans. Josep-Antoni Ysern, Lleida: Pàges, 2004.
Czech:
- Vernisáž : výbor z veršoů [selected poetry], trans. Ludvík Štěpán, Praha: Československý spisovatel, 1979.
- Prorok [selected poetry], trans. Ludvík Štěpán, Praha: Československý spisovatel, 1979.
- Okamžik nepozornosti [selected poetry], trans. Libor Martinek, Praha: Volvox Globator, 2006.
Danish:
- En misantrops ferie [Wakacje mizantropa, selected poetry from 1967–1989], trans. Janina Katz, Uffe Harder, Aarhus: Husets Forlag, 1990.
- Mennesker for begyndere [Ludzie dla początkujących], trans. Janina Katz, Hans Hartmann, Århus: Husets Forlag/S.O.L., 1999.
- Verdens diskotek [Ja, Gdzie indziej], trans. Janina Katz, Anne Hermann, Århus: Husets Forlag, 2005.
- I herberget Europa [poetry from Drzazga, Pomarańcza Newtona], trans. Janina Katz, Anne Hermann, København: Tiderne Skifter, 2011.
Dutch:
- Huis voor een vredige jeugd [Dom Spokojnej Młodości], trans. Adrian van Rijsewijk, Gent: Masereelfonds, 1982.
- Mensen voor beginners [Ludzie dla początkujących], trans. Karol Lesman, Breda: De Geus, 2000.
- Splinter [Drzazga], trans. Adrian van Rijsewijk, Breda: De Geus, 2007.
- Dr. Sefer [Sefer], trans. Adrian van Rijsewijk, Baarn: Uitgeverij Marmer, 2010.
- Beste mevrouw Schubert [Droga pani Schubert…], trans. Adrian van Rijsewijk, Gent: Poezjecentrum, 2015.
- Maffia: gedichten [selected poetry], trans. Adrian van Rijsewijk, Rotterdam: Uitgeverij Douane, 2018.
English:
- Such times [selected poetry], trans. Robert Colombo, Wacław Iwaniuk, Toronto: Hounslow, 1981.
- Poet? Criminal? Madman? [selected poetry from 1967–1990], trans. Barbara Bogoczek, Tony Howard, London–Boston: Forest Books, 1991.
- Białe truskawki / White Strawberries [bilingual edition], trans. Barbara Bogoczek, Tony Howard, Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2000.
- Pet shops and other poems [Sklepy zoologiczne and other poetry, bilingual edition], trans. Barbara Bogoczek, Tony Howard, Todmorden: Arc, 2002.
- The holy order of tourists [selected poetry from 1967–2006, bilingual edition], trans. Ryszard J. Reisner, Stockholm: Ars Interpres Publiscations, 2006.
- The New Century [selected from: 1999, Sklepy zoologiczne, Ja, Gdzie indziej, Drzazga, Pomarańcza Newtona], trans. Robin Davidson, Ewa Elżbieta Nowakowska, Illinois: Northwestern University Press, 2009.
- Sefer, trans. Barbara Bogoczek, Tony Howard, Edmonton: Au Press, 2012.
- Dear Ms. Schubert [Droga pani Schubert], trans. Robin Davidson, Ewa Elżbieta Nowakowska, Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2020.
French:
- Deux poétesses polonaises contemporaines: Ewa Lipska et Wisława Szymborska [wybór poezji E. Lipskiej i W. Szymborskiej], trans. Isabelle Macor-Filarska, Mundolsheim: L’Ancrier, 1996.
- L’homme pour débutants: choix de poèmes [Ludzie dla początkujących: wiersze wybrane, bilingual poetry], trans. Isabelle Macor-Filarska, Grzegorz Splawinski, Beuvry: Maison de la poésie Nord-Pas-de-Calais, 2004.
- Moi, ailleurs, l’écharde [Ja, Gdzie Indziej, Drzazga], trans. Isabelle Macor-Filarska, Irena Gudaniec-Barbier, Montpellier: Grèges, 2008.
- L’Orange de Newton [Pomarańcza Newtona], trans. Isabelle Macor-Filarska, Irena Gudaniec-Barbier, Bruxelles: L’Arbre à paroles, 2012.
- L’amour, chère madame Schubert… [Miłość, droga pani Schubert… bilingual poetry], trans. Isabelle Macor, Nantes: Éditions LansKine, 2015.
- Rumeur suivi de Chère madame Schubert [Pogłos, Droga pani Schubert], trans. Isabelle Macor, Nantes: Éditions LansKine, 2015.
- Lecteur d’empreintes digitales [Czytnik linii papilarnych], trans. Isabelle Macor, Nantes: Éditions Lanskine, 2017.
- Pęknięte oko czasu: (Droga pani Schubert…) = L’œil fêlé du temps: (Chère madame Schubert…) [selected from: Ludzie dla początkujących; 1999; Pogłos; Droga pani Schubert; Miłość, droga pani Schubert; bilingual edition], trans. Elżbieta Jogałła, Budapeszt–Kraków: Wydawnictwo Austeria, 2017.
- Mémoire opérationnelle/Pamięć operacyjna [bilingual edition], trans. Isabelle Macor, Nantes: Éditions LansKine, 2020.
- L’amour en mode urgence [Miłość w trybie awaryjnym], trans. Isabelle Macor, Corcoué-sur-Logne: Éditions LansKine, 2019.
German:
- Auf den Dächern der Mausoleen [selected poetry], trans. Karl Dedecius, Peter Raina, Witold Wirpsza, Berlin: Oberbaum, 1983.
- Meine Zeit. Mein Leib. Mein Leben [selected poetry], trans. Alois Woldan, Salzburg–Wien: Residenz-Verlag, 1990.
- Ersatzleben / Życie zastępcze [selected poetry, bilingual edition], trans. Alois Woldan, Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1998.
- Achtung: Stufe [wybrane wiersze], trans. Doreen Daume, Wien: Literaturverlag Droschl, 2004.
Hebrew:
- מלתחה של עלטה [Przechowalnia ciemności, wybór wierszy], trans. Rafi Weichert, Tel Awiw: Keshev, 2001.
- מוקדם לצעקה [Za wcześnie na krzyk, selected poetry from 1967–2005], trans. Rafi Weichert, Tel Awiw: Keshev, 2005.
- גברת שוברט היקרה [Droga pani Schubert], trans. Rafi Weichert, Tel Awiw: Keshev, 2023.
Hungarian:
- Versei [selected poetry], trans. Grácia Kerényi, Budapest: Európa, 1979.
- Világ kisváros: válogatott versek [selected poetry], trans. Zsille Gábor, Budapest: Írott Szó Alapítvány, 2021.
Italian:
- L’occhio incrinato del tempo [Droga pani Schubert…; Miłość, droga pani Schubert…], trans. Marina Ciccarini, Roma: Armando Editore, 2013.
- 20 poesie, trans. Paolo Statuti, Piateda: Edizioni CFR, 2014.
- Il lettore di impronte digitali e altre poesie [Czytnik linii papilarnych], trans. Marina Ciccarini, Roma: Donzelli, 2017.
Icelandic:
- Neyðarútgangur [selected poetry], trans. Áslaug Agnarsdóttir, Bragi Ólafsson, Magnús Sigurðsson, Olga Holownia, Óskar Árni Óskarsson, Reykjavik: Dimma, 2016.
Macedonian:
- Portoklalot na Nǰutn [Pomarańcza Newtona], trans. Petre Nakovski, Skopje: ViG Zenica, 2015.
Russian:
- Мeстeчкo Мир / Miasteczko Świat [selected poetry, bilingual edition], trans. Anatol Rojtman, Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2007.
Serbian:
- Stipendisti vremena [Stypendyści czasu], trans. Biserka Rajčić, Vršac: KOV, 1998.
- Ja [1999, Sklepy zoologiczne, Ja], trans. Biserka Rajčić, Beograd: Čigoja štampa, 2004.
- Негде другде [Gdzie indziej], trans. Biserka Rajčić, Beograd: Prosveta, 2006.
- Њутнова наранџа [Pomarańcza Newtona], trans. Biserka Rajčić, Vršac: KOV, 2008.
- Пажња: степеник : изабрана поезија / Uwaga: stopień: poezja wybrana [wydanie dwujęzyczne], trans. Biserka Rajčić, Smederevo: Newpress, 2009.
- Одјек [Pogłos], trans. Biserka Rajčić, Vršac: KOV, 2011.
- Draga gospođo Šubert… [Droga pani Schubert…; Miłość, droga pani Schubert…], trans. Biserka Rajčić, Beograd: Treći Trg: Čigoja štampa, 2013.
- Turisti reči [wybór wierszy], trans. Biserka Rajčić, Banja Luka: Kuća poezije, 2014.
- Čitač papilarnih linija [Czytnik linii papilarnych], trans. Biserka Rajčić, Beograd: Treći Trg: Čigoja štampa, 2016.
- Centrifugirajuća nada, trans. Biserka Rajčić, Banja Luka: Kuća poezije: Udruženje Poljaka, 2018.
- Ljubav u oštećenom stanju [Pamięć operacyjna, Miłość w trybie awaryjnym], trans. Biserka Rajčić, Beograd: Treći Trg: Srebrno drvo, 2019.
Slovak:
- Sedemnást’ červených veveričiek [selected poetry], trans. Karol Chmel, Banská Bystrica: Drewo a Srd, 2001.
Spanish:
- Fresas blancas / Białe truskawki [bilingual poetry], trans. Fernando Presa González, Madrid: Huerga y Fierro, 2001.
- Placebo [selected poetry], trans. Elżbieta Bortkiewicz, Lucena, Córdoba: Juan de Mairena, 2009.
- La astilla / La naranja de Newton [Drzazga, Pomarańcza Newtona, bilingual poetry], trans. Antonio Benitez, Anna Sobieska, Somonte-Cenero: Ediciones Trea, 2010.
- Salida de emergencia [Wyjście awaryjne, selected poetry], trans. Abel Murcia, Monterrey: Posdata Editores, 2012.
Swedish:
- Zon: dikter 1970–1994 [selected poetry], trans. Anders Bodegård, Lund: Ellerströms, 1997.
- Kära fru Schubert [Droga pani Schubert…], trans. Irena Grӧngerg, Lund: Ellerströms, 2015.
- Fingeravtrycksläsare [Czytnik linii papilarnych, Pamięć operacyjna], trans. Jarema Bielawski, Uppsala: Bokförlaget Edda, 2018.
- Newtons apelsin: och andra dikter [Pomarańcza Newtona i inne wiersze], trans. Irena Grönberg, Lund: Ellerströms, 2023.
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