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Gustaw Herling-Grudziński
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(1919-2000) – writer, essayist, literary critic, diarist, co-founder and co-editor of “Kultura” magazine based in Paris.
Herling-Grudziński debuted in interwar press as a literary critic. During World War II he was arrested and sent to a forced labour camp. He left Russia with the army of Władysław Anders and fought in the battle of Monte Cassino. As a co-founder and co-editor of “Kultura” he lived first in Rome and then in London. In 1952 he settled in Italy, where he spent the rest of his life.
The subject of his writing was the defiance of man against various forms of nothingness (totalitarianisms, religious doubt, the feeling of existential loneliness, the instrumentalisation of life). His books express his interest in Russian literature, European classics, painting. His erudite essays about art attest to the fact that for Herling culture is a sign of humanity’s metaphysical uncertainty, and the vastest symbolic language with which to investigate meaning.
The impetus to his emergence as a writer was his labour camp experience, which he recorded and transformed in the book “Inny świat” (published in English as A World Apart) – one of the first works on this topic in world literature. It is a reliable description of the monstrous living conditions in the camp, but also a story about the essence of totalitarianism, the limits of humanity and the human ability to overcome all adversity.
In his short stories, he harked back to the form of 19th-century tale, referring to Poe, Melville and James. The collection “Wieża” (The Tower) explores themes of the mystery of life, human suffering, loneliness and attitudes in the face of tragedy. The author used the method of embedded narratives, intertwining plots about different people living across many years. The first part shows the narrator’s stay in the Aosta Valley in Italy, the second describes the life of a Leper, and the third is a short outline of a retired Sicilian teacher’s existence. These people never meet, but are united by the overwhelming loneliness they all share.
This feeling is also familiar to the protagonist of the story “Podzwonne dla dzwonnika” (Death Knell for the Bell-Ringer): Fra Nafta, a Jewish child saved from a burning house and brought up by Franciscans, who becomes the bell-ringer at the Santa Chiara Church in Naples. Throughout his life, the physically and psychologically disabled Nafta was unable to speak and mumbled, mixing German and French words: the aftermath of the Shoah experiences.
An important work in Grudziński’s oeuvre is “Dzienniki pisane nocą” (selection published in English as Volcano and Miracle), a multi-volume journal written over almost thirty years, in which he plays the part of a chronicler of the era. His notes are full of references and comments regarding literature and art, historical and political disquisitions. The author emerges in them as a sage, a moralist, an artist, sometimes as a harsh judge. The books include both an analysis of current political events and the writer’s reflections about literature, art and Italian nature.
“In a journal, one talks to oneself, to the world, to others, to God (differences in emphasis make for different journals). And one often creates the interlocutors, like one creates oneself in conversations with them” – he wrote on 14th November 1985.
In 1998 Gustaw Herling-Grudziński received the Order of the White Eagle in recognition of his services to the Republic of Poland. He was the laureate of many awards, including the “Kultura” award (1958), the Alfred Jurzykowski Prize (1964), the Kościelski Award (1966), the London weekly “Wiadomości” award (1981), the French PEN Club Award (1986) and the Italian Premio Viareggio Internazionale (1994).
Bibliography
- Żywi i umarli. Szkice literackie, Roma: Oddział Kultury i Prasy 2. Korpusu, 1945.
- Inny Świat, London: Gryf Publications, 1953.
- La sconfitta e la ribellione del cortigiano; La convalescenza, Roma: Associazione Italiana per la Libertà della Cultura, 1957.
- Da Gorki a Pasternak. Considerazioni sulla letteratura sovietica, Roma: Opera Nuova, 1958.
- Skrzydła ołtarza, Paris: Instytut Literacki, 1960.
- Drugie Przyjście oraz inne opowiadania i szkice, Paris: Instytut Literacki, 1963.
- Upiory rewolucji, Paris: Instytut Literacki, 1969.
- Dziennik pisany nocą 1971–1972, Paris: Instytut Literacki, 1973.
- Dziennik pisany nocą 1973–1979, Paris: Instytut Literacki, 1980.
- Książę niezłomny i inne opowiadania. Wybór autora, Cracow: KOS, 1982.
- Dziennik pisany nocą 1980–1983, Paris: Instytut Literacki, 1984.
- Wieża i inne opowiadania, Poznań: W drodze, 1988.
- Dziennik pisany nocą 1984–1988, Paris: Instytut Literacki, 1989.
- Opowiadania zebrane, Poznań: W Drodze, 1990.
- Godzina cieni, Cracow: Znak, 1991.
- Dziennik pisany nocą 1989–1992, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1993.
- Wyjścia z milczenia. Szkice, Warsaw: Biblioteka „Więzi”, 1993.
- Sześć medalionów i Srebrna Szkatułka, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1994.
- Portret wenecki. Trzy opowiadania, Lublin: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej, 1995.
- Błogosławiona, święta, Lublin: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej, 1996.
- Dziennik pisany nocą 1993–1996, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1997
- Don Ildebrando, Warsaw: Presspublica, 1997.
- Gorący oddech pustyni, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1997.
- Rozmowy w Dragonei [with Włodzimierz Bolecki], Warsaw: Szpak, 1997.
- Dziennik pisany nocą 1993–96, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1998.
- Biała noc miłości, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1999.
- Ricordare, raccontare. Conversazione su Salamov [with Piero Sinatti], Napoli: L’Ancora, 1999.
- Dziennik pisany nocą 1997–1999, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 2000.
- Podzwonne dla dzwonnika, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 2000.
- Najkrótszy przewodnik po sobie samym, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2000.
- Rozmowy w Neapolu [with Włodzimierz Bolecki], Warsaw: Szpak, 2000.
- Z biografii Diego Baldassara, Lublin: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej, 2000.
- Wędrowiec cmentarny, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2006.
- Wiek biblijny i śmierć, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2007.
- Recenzje, szkice, rozprawy literackie 1935–1946, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2010.
- Recenzje, szkice, rozprawy literackie 1947–1956, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2010.
- Recenzje, szkice, rozprawy literackie 1957–1998, felietony i komentarze z Radia Wolna Europa 1955–1967, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2013
Translations (selected)
Bulgarian:
- Друг свят [Inny świat], trans. Desislava Nedjalkowa, Sofija: Izdatielstwo Atelier AB, 2001.
- Крилата на олтара. Разкази, дневници, есета [wybór opowiadań], trans. Desislawa Nedjalkowa, Ruse: Izdatielstwo Elias Kaneti, 2021.
Croatian:
- Bijela noč ljubavi: kazališna priča [Biała noc miłości], trans. Mladen Martić, Zagreb: Hrvatsko filološko društvo Disput, 2015.
- Dnevnik pisan noću 1970–2000. Izbor [selected from Dziennik pisany nocą], trans. Adrian Cvitanović, Zagreb: Disput, 2020.
Czech:
- Jiný svět [Inny świat], trans. Helena Stachová, Praha: Institut pro středoevropskou kulturu a politiku, 1994.
- Deník psaný v noci: 1989–1992 [Dziennik pisany nocą 1989–1992], trans. Helena Stachová, Martin Švehlík, Praha: Torst, 1995.
- Hodina stíṅu [Godzina cieni], trans. Helena Stachová, Praha: Torst, 1999.
- Ostrov a jine prózy [Skrzydła ołtarza, Drugie przyjście], trans. Helena Stachová, Praha: Mladá Fronta, 2000.
- Benátský portrét a jiné prózy [short stories selection], trans. Helena Stachová, Praha: Academia, 2004.
- Hřbitovní poutník [selected prose], trans. Helena Stachová, Praha–Litomyšl: Paseka, 2010.
Dutch:
- Een wite nacht van liefde [Biała noc miłości], trans. Lisetta Stembor, Breda: De Geus, 2001.
English:
- A world apart, trans. Joseph Marek, London: Heinemann, 1951.
- The island [short stories selection], trans. Ronald Strom, London: Peter Owen, 1990.
- Volcano and Miracle [selected from: Dziennik pisany nocą], trans. Ronald Strom, New York: Viking, 1996.
- The Noonday Cemetery and Other Stories [short stories selection], trans. Bill Johnston, New York: New Directions, 2003.
French:
- Un monde à part [Inny świat], trans. z ang. William Desmond, Paris: Le Grand Livre du Mois, 1985.
- L’île et autres récits [selected short stories], trans. Thérèse Douchy, Paris: Gallimard, 1992.
- Le portrait vénitien et autres récits [selected short stories], trans. Thérèse Douchy, Paris: Gallimard, 1995.
- Les perles de Vermeer: journal écrit la nuit 1986–1992 [Dziennik pisany nocą], trans. Thérèse Douchy, Paris: Seuil, 1999.
- Variations sur les ténèbres: Nouvelles [selected short stories], trans. Thérèse Douchy, Paris: Seuil, 1999.
- Nuits blanches d’amour [Biała noc miłości], trans. Thérèse Douchy, Paris: Seuil, 2001.
- La peste à Naples: relation d’un État d’exception [Dżuma w Neapolu], trans. Thérèse Douchy, Paris: Éditions Allia, 2022.
German:
- Der Turm und Die Insel [two novels], trans. Maryla Reifenberg, Köln: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1966.
- Das venezianische porträt [selected short stories], trans. Nina Kozlowski, München–Wien: Hanser, 1996.
- Tagebuch bei Nacht geschrieben [Dziennik pisany nocą], trans. Nina Kozlowski, München: Hanser 2000.
- Welt ohne Erbarmen [Inny świat], trans. Wille Hansjürgen, Nina Kozlowski, München–Vien: Hanser, 2000.
Hungarian:
- A második eljövetel. Válogatott esszék és elbeszélések [selected essays and short stories], trans. Csaba Galambos i in., Budapest: Orpheusz, 1998.
- A sivatag forró lehelete [Gorący oddech pustyni], trans. Klára Körtvélyessy, Zsuzsa Mihályi, Lajos Pálfalvi, Budapest: Nagyvilág, 2004.
- Más világ [Inny świat], trans. Klára Körtvélyessy, Budapest: Nagyvilág, 2004.
Italian:
- Un mondo a parte [Inny świat], trans. Gaspare Magi, Bari: Editori Laterza, 1958.
- Due racconti: La torre; Il miracolo [two novels], trans. Dario Staffa, Paolo Statuti, Milano: Libri Scheiwiller, 1990.
- Diario scritto di notte [Dziennik pisany nocą], trans. Donatella Tozzetti, Milano: Feltrinelli, 1992.
- Gli spettri della rivoluzione ed altri saggi [Upiory rewolucji], trans. Vera Verdiani, Firenze: Ponte alle Grazie, 1994.
- Ritratto Veneziano [selected short stories], trans. Laura Quercioli Micer, Piero Di Nepi, Roma: Fazi, 1995.
- Le perle di Vermeer [selected short stories], trans. Laura Quercioli Micer, Piero Di Nepi, Roma: Fazi, 1998.
- Don Ildebrando e altri racconti [Don Ildebrando], trans. Mauro Martini, Milano: Feltrinelli, 1999.
Macedonian:
- Бела ноќ на љубовта [Biała noc miłości], trans. Lidija Tanuszewska, Skopje: Ili-Ili, 2006.
- Een wereld apart [Inny świat], tlum. Jacq Vogelaar, Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij, 2005.
Russian:
- Иной мир [Inny świat], trans. Natalja Gorbaniewska, Moskwa: Progress, 1991.
- горячее дыхание пустыни, Белая ночь любви [Gorący oddech pustyni, Biała noc miłości], trans. Irina Adelgejm, Moskwa: MIK, 2000.
- Неаполитанская летопись [selected from Dziennik pisany nocą], trans. Irina Adelgejm, Sankt-Petersburg: Izdatielstwo Ivana Limbacha, 2017.
Serbian:
- Bela noć ljubavi [Biała noc miłości], trans. Biserka Rajčić, Beograd: B. Kukuić, 2004.
- Dnevnik pisan noću 1969–2000 [Dziennik pisany nocą 1969–2000], trans. Biserka Rajčić, Beograd: Službeni glasnik, 2010.
- Venecijanski portret [selected short stories], trans. Biserka Rajčić, Vršac : Književna opština Vršac, 2016.
Slovak:
- Biela noc lásky [Biała noc miłości], trans. Jozef Hvišč, Bratislava: Slovart, 2001.
Slovenian:
- Drug svet [Inny świat], trans. Jana Unuk, Ljubljana: Modrijan, 2013.
Spanish:
- Variaciones sobre las tinieblas [selected short stories], trans. Elzbieta Bortkiewicz, Madrid: Metáfora, 2003.
- Un mundo aparte [Inny świat], trans. Anna Orzeszek, Francisco Javier Villaverde González, Barcelona: Libros del Asteroide, 2012.
Ukrainian:
- Іиший Світ [Inny świat], trans. Oleś Gerasim, Kyjiw: Knigi XXI, 2010.
- Breve racconto di me stesso [Najkrótszy przewodnik po sobie samym], Napoli: L’Ancora del Mediterraneo, 2001.
- Requiem per il campanaro [Podzwonne dla dzwonnika], trans. Vera Verdiani, Napoli: L’Ancora del Mediterraneo, 2003.
- La notte bianca dell’amore [Biała noc miłości], trans. Vera Verdiani, Napoli: L’Ancora del Mediterraneo, 2004.
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