Joanna Łępicka

(b. 1995) – a poet, literary critic, and editor; associated with the Krakowska Szkołą Poezji (Kraków School of Poetry).

She debuted with the volume “Zeszyt ćwiczeń” (The Exercise Book), for which she received the Wiesław Kazanecki Literary Award of the Białystok City Mayor (2024, debut category) and third prize in the 20^th Artur Fryz Golden Mean of Poetry National Literary Competition (best debut poetry book, 2023). The Exercise Book was also nominated for the Gdynia Literary Prize in 2024. Łępicka is the laureate of the first edition of the Gliwice Literary Prize in the “poetry after debut” category for the draft of the book “Olbrzym” (Giant).

Joanna Łępicka edited “Stoner Polski” and published poetry and literary criticism in magazines including “Twórczość”, “Wizje” and “Zakład”.

The Exercise Book shows her as a poet interested in reinterpreting classic lyrical forms such as the sonnet, pantun, villanelle, ode, sestina. Her debut volume becomes an exercise book, a project to work out one’s own lyrical language, as well as a space for experimentation, a test of the boundaries and capabilities of poetry and language, and a dialogue with other creators (critics point out that Tomaž Šalamun has priority among them).

Her work has been translated into English.