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(b. 1967) – poet, biographer, feature writer, editor. Graduated in Polish studies, and for a short time studied philosophy at the Jagiellonian University. He…
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Jan Kott
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(1914–2001) – a prose writer, poet, translator, literary and theatre critic, and exponent of the Polish essay school.
He began his creative work after World War II as a writer closely connected to the communist authorities, an editor of the weekly Kuźnica, teoretyk i kodyfikator literatury socjalistycznej, filling the requirements of a Marxist approach to art. He did not become an enthusiast of Socialist Realism, however. He joined György Lukacs in lauding a model of ‘great realism’, by which the literature of ‘new Poland’ was to draw from Charles Dickens, Honoré de Balzac, Stendhal and Lev Tolstoy. Over time, Kott was pushed to the margins of political life, and he backed out of the Communist Party in 1957.
Jan Kott was an active theatre reviewer, famous for his new readings of the classics, above all William Shakespeare. ‘Szkice o Szekspirze’ (Sketches on Shakespeare), in which he interpreted the Elizabethan playwright through the philosophical, existential and political experiences of the twentieth century, was surely his most popular book of literary criticism. His personal writing, stories drawn from his own highly colourful biography, are another ongoing feature of his work. He juxtaposed Shakespeare with Ionesco and Beckett, but above all, with the everyday lives of people living in totalitarian countries. Kott applied a similar method to reading Greek tragedy and showing its modernity. The dramas of Aeschylus or Sophocles were, from this perspective, records of a universal experience: the cruelty of fate, a refusal to consent to the world and its rulers: gods and kings. For Kott, theatre was always more than just one of the arts – it stood in for human life, the workings of the world. At the end of his life, his work became filled with deep reflections and thoughts on art and human behaviour and increasingly focused on personal experiences, as in ‘Powiastki dla wnuczek’ (Tales for My Granddaughters). His last books are full of warmth, humour, and nostalgia, and show off his remarkable ability to see the beauty in simple, everyday moments.
In 1966, he immigrated to the United States, where he lectured at Yale University and the University of California in Berkeley. After departing for the West, he systematically published books and articles in such American journals as The New Republic, Partisan Review and The New York Review. Alongside the aforementioned themes, his sketches looked at Japanese theatre, the work of Peter Brook, Tadeusz Kantor and Jerzy Grotowski. He also contributed to London’s Wiadomości. At the end of his life he published in Tygodnik Powszechny and Zeszyty Literackie. He was the translator of numerous works of prose and dramas, including Jean-Paul Sartre, Denis Diderot, Eugène Ionesco and Molière. The Jan Kott Archive is found at the Archive of Emigration at the Library of the University of Toruń.
He was the winner of many distinctions and awards, including: the Gold Service Cross (1946), the Cross of Valour (1945), the American George G. Nathan Award for best theatre critic of the year (1985), the award of the Theatre Critics’ Section of the Polish ITI (International Theatre Institute) Centre for ‘Zjadanie bogów’ (Devouring the Gods, 1988).
Bibliography
poetry:
- Podwojony świat, Warsaw: skład główny Towarzystwo Wydawnicze, 1936.
essays:
- Mitologia i realizm. Szkice literackie, Warsaw: Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza „Czytelnik”, 1946.
- Po prostu. Szkice i zaczepki, Łódź: Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza „Książka”, 1946.
- O „Lalce’” Bolesława Prusa, Łódź: Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza „Książka”, 1948.
- Szkoła klasyków, Warsaw: Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza „Czytelnik”, 1949.
- Trwałe wartości literatury polskiego Oświecenia, Warsaw: Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, 1951.
- Wiktor Hugo – pisarz walczący, Warsaw: Książka i Wiedza, 1952.
- Postęp i głupstwo. Szkice, Warsaw: Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, 1956.
- Szkice o Szekspirze, Warsaw: Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, 1961.
- Szekspir współczesny, Warsaw: Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, 1965.
- Aloes. Dzienniki i małe szkice, Warsaw: PIW, 1969.
- Zjadanie bogów. Szkice o tragedii greckiej, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1986.
- Kamienny potok. Szkice, Warsaw: NOWA, 1981.
- Przyczynek do biografii, London: Aneks, 1990.
- Płeć Rozalindy. Interpretacje. Marlowe, Szekspir, Webster, Büchner, Gautier, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1992.
- Nowy Jonasz i inne szkice, Wrocław, Wydawnictwo Wiedza o Kulturze, 1994.
- Bajeczki dla Lidusi, Warsaw: Tenten, 1994.
- Kadysz. Strony o Tadeuszu Kantorze, Gdańsk: słowo/obraz terytoria, 1997.
- Lustro, Warsaw: Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza „Czytelnik”, 2000.
- Powiastki dla wnuczek, Warsaw: Fundacja Zeszytów Literackich, 2002.
journalism:
- Węgiel, Łódź: Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza „Książka”, 1946.
- O społecznym awansie, Łódź: Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza „Książka”, 1947.
translation works:
- Roger Garaudy, Komunizm i odrodzenie kultury francuskiej, Łódź: Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza „Książka”, 1945.
- Denis Diderot, Paradoks o aktorze i inne utwory, Warsaw: Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza „Czytelnik”, 1958.
Translations
Croatian:
- Bajke za Lidusju [Bajeczki dla Lidusi], trans. Dalibor Blažina, Zagreb: ArTresor, 1997.
- Rozalindin spol [Płeć Rozalindy], trans. Dalibor Blažina, Zagreb: Znanje, 1997.
Czech:
- Shakespearovské črty [Szkice o Szekspirze], trans. Ludmila Furgyiková, Praha: Československý spisovatel, 1964.
Danish:
- Shakespeare vor samtidige [Szkice o Szekspirze], trans. Karina Windfeld-Hansen, København: S. Hasselbalch, 1966.
Dutch:
- Shakespeare-tijdgenoot [Szkice o Szekspirze], trans. Berend Hulsing, Amsterdam: Moussault, 1967.
English:
- Shakespeare, our contemporary [Szkice o Szekspirze], trans. Bolesław Taborski, Garden City: Doubleday: Anchor Books, 1966.
- The memory of the body: Essays on theater and death [wybór tekstów], trans. Jadwiga Kosicka i inni, Evanston, Ill.: Northwestern University Press, 1992.
- The gender of Rosalind [Płeć Rozalindy], trans. Jadwiga Kosicka, Mark Rosenzweig, Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 1992.
- Still alive. An autobiographical essay [Przyczynek do autobiografii], trans. Jadwiga Kosicka, New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 1994.
- Kaddish. Pages on Tadeusz Kantor [Kadysz. Strony o Tadeuszu Kantorze], trans. Jakob Ziguras, London; New York; Calcutta: Seagull Books, 2020.
Finnish:
- Shakespeare tänään [Szkice o Szekspirze], trans. Salla Hirvinen, Helsinki: W. Söderström, 1965.
French:
- Shakespeare notre contemporain [Szekspir współczesny], trans. Anna Posner, Paris: R. Juillard, 1962.
- Manger les dieux. Essais sur la tragédie grecque et la modernité [Zjadanie bogów. Szkice o tragedii greckiej], trans. Jean-Pierre Cottereau, Michel Lisowski, Paris: Payot, 1989.
- La vie en sursis. Esquisses pour une biographie [Przyczynek do autobiografii], trans. Marie Bouvard, Paris: Solin, 1991.
- Kaddish. Pages sur Tadeusz Kantor [Kadysz. Strony o Tadeuszu Kantorze], trans. Laurence Dyèvre, Nantes: Le Passeur-Cecofop, 2000.
German:
- Die Schule der Klassiker [Szkoła klasyków], Berlin: Henschel, 1954.
- Shakespeare heute [Szekspir współczesny], München: Piper, 1970.
- Gott-Essen. Interpretationen griechischer Tragödien [Zjadanie bogów], trans. Piotr Lachmann, München: Piper, 1975.
- Das Gedächtnis des Körpers, trans. Agnieszka Grzybkowska, Berlin: Alexander, 1990.
- Leben auf Raten. Versuch einer Autobiographie [Przyczynek do autobiografii], trans. Agnieszka Grzybkowska, Berlin: Alexander, 1993.
- Don Juan oder Über die Begierde, trans. Agnieszka Grzybkowska, Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta, 1994.
Hungarian:
- „Szinház az egész, világ...” [Szkice o Szekspirze], trans. Géz Balogh, Budapest: A Magyar Színházmuvészeti Szövetség Kiskönyvtára, 1968.
- Kortársunk Shakespeare [Szekspir współczesny], trans. Grácia Kerényi, Budapest: Gondolat, 1970.
- Istenevők. Vázlatok a görög tragédiáròl [Zjadanie bogów. Szkice o tragedii greckiej], trans. Fejér Irén, Budapest: Euròpa, 1988.
- A lehetetlen színház vége. Esszék [wybór utworów], trans. Király Nina, Balogh Géza, Budapest: Országos Színháztörténeti Múzeum és Intézet, 1997.
Italian:
- Divorare gli dei. Un’interpretazione della tragedia greca [Zjadanie bogów. Szkice o tragedii greckiej], trans. Ettore Capriolo, Milano: Studio Editoriale, 1990.
- Eros e Thanatos (Saggi e documenti del Novecento) [wybór utworów], trans. Martino Conserva, Milano: SE, 1992.
- Arcadia amara. „La Tempesta” e altri saggi shakespeariani [Szkice o Szekspirze], trans. Ettore Capriolo, Milano: SE, 1995.
- Pagine su Tadeusz Kantor [Kadysz. Strony o Tadeuszu Kantorze], trans. Jakob Ziguras, Milano: Libri Scheiwiller, 2001.
- Shakespeare nostro contemporaneo [Szekspir współczesny], trans. Vera Verdiani, Milano: Feltrinelli, 2015.
Norwegian:
- Shakespeare – vaer samtidige [Szkice o Szekspirze], trans. Carl Frederik, Oslo: Gyldendal, 1995.
Portuguese:
- Shakespeare nosso contemporâneo [Szkice o Szekspirze], trans. Norberto Ávila, Lisboa: Portugalia Editora, 1968.
Romanian:
- Shakespeare, contemporanul nostrum [Szkice o Szekspirze], trans. Anca Livescu, Teofil Roll, Bucureşti: Editura pentru Literaturâ Univeršala, 1969.
Serbian:
- Prilog biografiji [Przyczynek do biografii], trans. Biserka Rajičić, Novi Sad: Prometej, 1998.
- Kameni potok. Eseji [Kamienny potok], trans. Biserka Rajičić, Beograd: Književne novine, 1990.
Slovenian:
- Eseji o Shakespearu [Szkice o Szekspirze], trans. Uroš Kraigher, Radojka Vrančič, Ljubljana: Državna založba Slovenije, 1964.
- Gledališki eseji [wybór utworów], trans. Darja Dominkuš, Ljubljana: Mestno gledališče ljubljansko, 1985.
Spanish:
- Shakespeare, nuestro contemporáneo [Szekspir współczesny], trans. Jaime Saruski, La Habana: Instituto del Libro, 1968.
- Apuntes sobre Shakespeare [Szkice o Szekspirze], trans. Jadwija Maurizio, Barcelona: Edititorial Seix Barral, 1969.
- El manjar de los dioses. Una interpretación de la tragedia griega [Zjadanie bogów. Szkice o tragedii greckiej], trans. Juan Tovar, México: Era, 1977.
Swedish:
- Shakespeare-vår samtida [Szkice o Szekspirze], trans. Jan Kunicki, Carin Leche, Sztockholm: Natur och Kultur, 1972.
Turkish:
- Çağdaşimiz Shakespeare [Szekspir współczesny], trans. Teoman Güney, Istanbul: Mitos Boyut, 1999.
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