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Kazimierz Brandys

(1916 – 2000) – prose writer and essayist.

Brandys was born in Łódź, in a family with Jewish roots; he was the younger brother of writer Marian Brandys. He studied law at the University of Warsaw and graduated in 1939. At university he was active in the leftist Association for Independent Socialist Youth. At this time, he published his first writing in Lviv-based “Sygnały” and in magazines of the academic left like “Walka Młodych”, “Młodzi Idą” and “Akademik Socjalista”. He spent the German occupation in Warsaw and Kraków, with so-called Aryan papers. This was when he wrote his first novel, “Urodziny” (Birthday, 1940-42). After the war he settled in Kraków, where he worked with the magazines “Odrodzenie”, “Przekrój” and “Twórczość”, publishing short stories, fragments of prose, columns and literary reviews. In 1945 he joined the Polish Writers’ Union, where he was later a member of the board and vice-chairman. In 1946 he moved to Łódź; there he worked as an editor at “Kuźnica”. This was also when he joined the Polish Workers’ Party (from 1949 the Polish United Workers’ Party, PZPR). In 1949 he returned to Warsaw, where he worked at “Nowa Kultura” and published in other periodicals, including “Sztandar Młodych” and “Życie Literackie”. He was active in the Society of Authors ZAiKS and the Polish PEN Club.

Brandys is the author of perhaps the best Polish novel written according to the style of socialist realism, “Obywatele” (Citizens, 1954), about the victory of Polish revolution, and the tetralogy “Między wojnami” (Between the Wars: “Samson” – 1948; “Antygona” – Antigone, 1948; “Troja miasto otwarte” – Troy: Open City, 1949; “Człowiek nie umiera” – Man Does Not Die, 1951), a panorama of the lives of Polish intelligentsia from the 1930s until early 1950s. These works brought him many prestigious awards from the state.

From 1956 onwards he became a proponent of “renewal” and “moral cleansing” of the party and the authorities. This is relevant to his novel “Matka Królów” (1957, published in English as Sons and Comrades) – a tale about a working-class family and a Polish mater dolorosa, a mother to sons who were both builders and victims of the Stalinist regime. In the 1960s and 1970s he spent much time abroad, lecturing in the USA and at the Sorbonne, and working with Jean-Paul Sartre’s monthly “Les Temps Modernes”.

He left the PZPR in 1966 to protest against the removal of Leszek Kołakowski from the party. In 1976 he signed the Memorial 101 in defence of the constitution. He collaborated with the underground literary quarterly “Zapis”. Henceforth connected with the liberal wing of Polish intelligentsia, he wrote about their lives, creating portraits of people and events. This current of his oeuvre includes his debut novel “Drewniany koń” (Wooden Horse, 1946), the above-mentioned tetralogy Between the Wars, as well as his later epistolary novel “Wariacje pocztowe” (Postal Variations, 1972) about a multigenerational family of gentry, “Nierzeczywistość” (1977, published in English as A Question of Reality) and the four-volume “journal-novel” “Miesiące” (1980-1987, published in English as A Warsaw Diary: 1978-1981 and Paris, New York: 1982-1984). At the beginning of December 1981, he travelled to the United States and then to Paris, where the start of the Polish martial law found him. In France he hosted Polish-language programmes at the Radio France Internationale. In 1982 he moved to New York, where he was to give a series of lectures on Polish literature at Columbia University. In 1983 he permanently left Poland and started working with the Polish service of Radio Free Europe. After 1989 he published also in Polish press, including “Rzeczpospolita” and “Gazeta Wyborcza”. He died in Paris and is buried at the Père Lachaise Cemetery.

Brandys’ oeuvre falls outside any unifying formula. In his books, the novelist and chronicler encounters the storyteller (story collections “Romantyczność” – 1960, Romance; “Jak być kochaną i inne opowiadania” – 1970, How to Be Loved and Other Stories). This is especially the case in texts where Brandys returns to the topic of the occupation: “Rondo” (1982, published in English under the same title) is a story about a fictitious resistance group, which the narrator created on his own initiative during the occupation to protect his beloved woman (a fierce patriot) from the dangers of real underground activity – but the fabrication resulted in real coups, deaths and imprisonments. The chronicler and storyteller in Brandys’ prose are also joined by the intellectual. This can be seen in his fictionalised essayistic reflections (“Listy do Pani Z.” – 1958-62, published in English as Letters to Mrs. Z.; “Sposób bycia” – 1963, Ways of Being; “Dżoker” – 1966, Joker; “Rynek” – 1968, The Square), on the pages of “Miesiące”, and also in his last prose memoir “Zapamiętane” (1995, Remembered), where he revisits his childhood again, discovers his Jewish roots, recalls the wartime years, sketches portraits of the people he encountered, reflects on contemporary literature. One of the strengths of his elegant, refined prose (the writer avoids avantgarde solutions, but is a master of stylisation) is that the chronicle aspect is always confronted with the subjective and the individual. And so, for example, “Miesiące” is not only a record of events and the mental and emotional state of a Central-European writer, dissident and later immigrant, but also one of the most interesting literary works about marriage. It is the story of the love and restless relationship between two people who met as teenagers, still in high school. Mysterious and fickle history, politics and romance (also with literature) – these are Brandys’ inseparable themes. As he himself wrote about his creative work: “In fact, only two topics have existed for me from the start: 1) When and how reality becomes story, and story becomes reality; 2) If, or to what extent, can one create one’s own destiny, independent from Providence and History”.

He received many awards in Poland and abroad, including the State Award Badge 2nd Class (1950 and 1955), the Island of Elba Literary Prize (1964), the Jurzykowski Foundation Award (1982), the M. Grydzewski Award (1981), the Ignazio Silone International Prize (1986), the Prato-Europa literary award (1986). He was honoured with the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1952), the Order of the Banner of Labour 2nd Class (1955), the Medal of the 10th Anniversary of People’s Poland (1955), and the Order of Arts and Letters awarded by the French Minister of Culture (1993). In 2000 he received the J. Parandowski lifetime achievement award from the Polish PEN Club.

Bibliography (selected)

Fiction, short stories:

  • Drewniany koń, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1946.
  • Miasto niepokonane. Opowieść o Warszawie, Warsaw: Książka, 1946.
  • Między wojnami (Samson), Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1948.
  • Antygona, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1948.
  • Troja, miasto otwarte, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1949.
  • Człowiek nie umiera, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1951.
  • Obywatele, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1954.
  • Matka Królów, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1957.
  • Romantyczność, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1960.
  • Sposób bycia, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1963.
  • Obrona Granady i inne opowiadania, Warsaw: Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, 1966.
  • Jak być kochaną i inne opowiadania, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1970.
  • Wariacje pocztowe, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1972.
  • Pomysł, Warsaw: Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, 1974.
  • Nierzeczywistość, Warsaw: Niezależna Oficyna Wydawnicza NOWA, 1977.
  • Rondo, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1982.
  • Przygody Robinsona, Warsaw: Iskry, 1999.

Reminiscences, journals, essays:

  • Wspomnienia z teraźniejszości, Warsaw: Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, 1959.
  • Mała księga, Warsaw: Czytelnik, 1970.
  • Miesiące, (t.1: 1978–1979, Warsaw: NOWA, 1981; t.2: 1980–1981, Paris: Instytut Literacki, 1982; t.3: 1982–1984, Paris, 1984; t.4: 1985–1987, Paris, 1987).
  • Sztuka konwersacji, London: Aneks, 1990.
  • Charaktery i pisma, London: Aneks, 1991.
  • Zapamiętane, Cracow: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1995.
  • Listy do pani Z. Wspomnienia z teraźniejszości, cz. 1–3, Warsaw: Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, 1958‒1962.

Translations (selected)

Bulgarian:

  • Непобеденият град [Miasto niepokonane. Opowieść o Warszawie], trans. Veselina Genovska, Sofija: „Slavanska Kultura”, 1948.
  • Самсон [Samson], trans. Dimitr Ikonomov, Sofija: Narodna Kultura, 1962.
  • Антигона [Antygona], trans. Dimitr Ikonomov, Sofija: Narodna Kultura, 1963.

Czech:

  • Město nepokořené [Miasto niepokonane. Opowieść o Warszawie], trans. Helena Teigová, Praha: Fr. Borový, 1948.
  • Samson [Samson], trans. Helena Teigová, Praha: Melantrich, 1950.
  • Antigona [Antygona], trans. Miloš Václav Dittrich, Bratislava: Dukla, 1950.
  • Příhody Xavera Šarleje, trans. Helena Teigová, Praha: Melantrich, 1950.
  • Pařiž mǎsto otevřené [Troja, miasto otwarte], trans. Helena Teigová, Praha: Melantrich, 1951.
  • Človǎk ne umírá [Człowiek nie umiera], trans. Helena Teigová, Praha: Melantrich, 1953.
  • Občané [Obywatele], trans. Helena Teigová, Praha: St. Nakl. Krásné Liter., Hudby a Umění, 1954.
  • Zpusob existence [Sposób bycia], trans. Helena Stachová, Praha: Státní Nakladat. Krásné Literatury, 1965.
  • Dopisy pani Z.: vzpomínky z přítomnosti 1957–1961 [Listy do pani Z. ], trans. Vlasta Dvořáčková, Praha: Československý spisovatel, 1967.

Danish:

  • Lucja Król: en moder [Matka królów]; Granada [Obrona Grenady], trans. Noemi Eskul-Jensen, Karl Hornelund, Eigil Steffensen, København : C. A. Reitzel, 1960.
  • Måneder [Miesiące], trans. Willy Dähnhardt, Janina Katz, Kopenhaga: Gyldendal, 1987.

Dutch:

  • Rondo [Rondo], trans. Karol Lesman, Amsterdam: Wereldbibliotheek, 1991.

English:

  • Sons and comrades [Matka Królów], trans. David J. Welsh, New York: Grove Press, 1961.
  • A question of reality [Nierzeczywistość], trans. Isabel Barzun, New York: C. Scribner’s Sons, [1980].
  • A Warsaw diary: 1978–1981 [Miesiące], trans. Richard Lourie, New York: Random House, 1983.
  • Paris, New York: 1982–1984 [Miesiące], New York: Random House, 1988.
  • Letters to Mrs. Z. [Listy do pani Z.], trans. Morris Edelson, Highland Park, Ill.: December Press, [1987].
  • Rondo [Rondo], trans. Jarosław Anders, New York: Farrar, Straus & Giriux, 1989.

Estonian:

  • Olevikumälestusi [Obywatele], trans. Aleksander Kurtna, Tallinn: Ajalehtede-Ajakirjade Kirjastus, 1957.

French:

  • La défense de Grenada [Obrona Grenady];  La mère des rois [Matka Królów], trans. Victoria Achéres, Paris: R. Julliard, 1958.
  • Lettres a Madame Z. [Listy do pani Z. ], trans. Anna Posner, Paris: R. Julliard, 1961.
  • Façon d’être [Sposób bycia], trans. A. Kosko, Paris: Éditions Gallimard, 1968.
  • En Pologne, c’est-a-dire nulle part [Nierzeczywistość], trans. Adam Lach, Paris: Éditions du Seuil,1978.
  • Carnets de Varsovie, 1978–1981 [Miesiące 1978–1981], trans. Thérèse Douchy, Paris: Éditions Gallimard, 1985.
  • Carnets Paris-New-York-Paris, 1982–1984 [Miesiące 1982–1984], trans. Thérèse Douchy, Paris: Éditions Gallimard, 1987.
  • Rondo [Rondo], trans. Jean-Yves Erhel, Paris: Éditions Gallimard, 1989.
  • Carnets Paris, 1985–1987 [Miesiące 1985–1987 ], trans. Thérèse Douchy, Paris: Éditions Gallimard, 1990.
  • Hôtel d’Alsace et autres adresses [Charaktery i pisma], trans. Jean-Yves Erhel, Paris: Éditions Gallimard, 1992.
  • L’art d’être aimée et autres nouvelles [Jak być kochaną i inne opowiadania], trans. Christophe Potocki, Paris: Éditions Gallimard, 1993.
  • Le troisième Henri [Pomysł], trans. Jean-Yves Erhel, Paris: Éditions Gallimard, 1995.
  • De mémoire… [Zapamiętane], trans. Jean-Yves Erhel, Paris: Éditions Gallimard, 2003.

German:

  • Der Mensch stirbt nicht [Człowiek nie umiera], trans. Kurt Harrer, Berlin: Aufbau-Verlag, 1955.
  • Briefe an Frau Z. Erinnerungen aus der Gegenwart 1957–1961 [Listy do pani Z.], trans. Caesar Rymarowicz, Berlin: Volk und Welt, 1965.
  • Die Verteidigung des Granada [Obrona Grenady], trans. Wanda Bronska-Pampuch, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1966.
  • Die Mutter der Könige [Matka Królów]; Die Verteidigung des Granada [Obrona Grenady], trans. Wanda Bronska-Pampuch, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 1966.
  • Die Kunst geliebt zu werden und andere Erzählungen [Jak być kochaną i inne opowiadania], Berlin: Volk und Welt, 1968.
  • Joker: Erinnerungen aus der Gegenwart [Dżoker], trans. Walter Tiel, Frankfurt am Main: Insel Verlag, 1968.
  • Die Art zu leben [Sposób bycia], trans. Walter Tiel, Frankfurt am Main: Insel Verlag, 1970.
  • Der Marktplatz [Rynek], trans. Klaus Staemmler, Frankfurt am Main: Insel Verlag, 1971.
  • Die sehr alten Beiden [wybór opowiadań], trans. Caesar Rymarowicz, Kurt Kelm, Jutta Janke, Hans Loose, Leipzig: Philip Reclam jun., 1971.
  • Kleines Buch [Mała księga], trans. Henryk Bereska, Berlin: Volk und Welt, 1972.
  • Variationen in Briefen [Wariacje pocztowe], trans. Roswitha Buschmann, Berlin: Volk und Welt, 1975.
  • Ruhige Jahre unter der Besatzung [Spokojne lata pod zaborem], trans. Maria Kurecka, Berlin: Literarisches Colloquium: Berliner Künstlerprogramm des DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst), 1979.
  • Warschauer Tagebuch. Die Monate davor 1978–1981 [Miesiące 1978–1981], trans. Friedrich Grise, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1984.
  • Rondo [Rondo], trans. Olaf Kühl, Darmstadt: Luchterhand-Literaturverlag, 1988.
  • Der Einfall [Pomysł], trans. Henryk Bereska, Berlin: Volk und Welt, 1990.

Hungarian:

  • Honpolgárok [Obywatele], trans. Illona Dembinszky, Budapest: Új Magyar Könyvkiadó, 1956.
  • Jellemek és írások [Charaktery i pisma], trans. Klára Körtvélyessy, Zsuzsa Mihályi, Budapest: Euròpa,1995.
  • Rondó: szerelem, színház, háború [Rondo], trans. Lajos Pálfalvi, Pécs: Jelenkor, 2002.

Italian:

  • La difesa della Grenada e altri racconti [wybór opowiadań], trans. Franca Wars, Milano: A. Mondadori, 1980.
  • La madre dei Re [Matka Królów], trans. Ludovico Tulli, Milano: Feltrinelli, 1987.
  • Sansone [Samson], trans. Franciszka Frova, Giovanna Tomassucci, Roma: E/O, [1987].
  • Variazioni postali [Wariacje pocztowe], trans. Ludmiła Ryba i Mauro Martini, Roma: E/O, [1988].
  • L’arte di farsi amare [Jak być kochaną, i inne opowiadania], trans. Giovanna Tomassucci, Roma: E/O, [1990].
  • Hotel d’Alsace e altri due indirizzi [Charaktery i pisma], trans. Giovanna Tomassucci, Roma: E/O, [1992].
  • L’arte della conversazione [Sztuka konwersacji], trans. Raffaella Belletti, Roma: E/O, [1995].
  • Le avventure di Robinson [Przygody Robinsona], trans. Raffaella Belletti, Roma: E/O, [2000].
  • Lettere alla signora Z. e altri racconti [Listy do pani Z. : wspomnienia z teraźniejszości], trans. Franca Wars, Milano: La vita felice, 2000.
  • Rondò [Rondo], trans. Giovanna Tomassucci, Roma: E/O, [2001].

Romanian:

  • Cărticica [Mała księga], trans. Mihai Mitu, Bucureşti: Univers, 1976.

Russian:

  • Граждане [Obywatele], trans.  Marija Abkina, Moskwa: Izdatel’stvo Inostrannoj Literatury, 1955.
  • Между войнами [Między wojnami; cykl powieściowy], t. 1 i 2, trans. W. Rakowskaja [et al.], Moskwa: Izdatel’stvo Inostrannoj Literatury, 1957–1958.
  • Человек не умирает [Człowiek nie umiera], trans.  W. Rakowskaja, Moskwa: Izdatel’stvo Inostrannoj Literatury, 1958.

Serbian:

  • Neporeni grad: povest Varšave [Miasto niepokonane. Opowieść o Warszawie], trans. Sergije Jelenjev, Beograd: Priz 1947.
  • Zapamćeno [Zapamiętane], trans. Ljubica Rosić, Beograd: Paideia, 2000.

Slovak:

  • Ako byt’ milovaná [Jak być kochaną], trans. Jozef Hvišč, Bratislava: Slovenskij spisovatel, 1965.
  • Listy pani Z.: výber [Listy do pani Z.; wybór], trans. Pavol Winczer, Bratislava: Slovenské vydavatel’stvo krásnej literatury, 1965.
  • Žolík: spomienky zo súčasnosti [Dżoker], trans. Matej Andráš, Bratislava: Tatran, 1968.

Slovenian:

  • Lucija Kralj [Matka Królów], trans. Uroš Kraigher, Ljubljana: Državna založba Slovenije, 1960.

Spanish:

  • Ciudadanos [Obywatele], trans. Esther G. de Adin, Buenos Aires: Hemisferio, 1958.
  • Cartas a la señora Z. [Listy do pani Z.], trans. Sergio Pitol, Xalapa: Universidad Varacruzana, 1966.
  • Madre de reyes [Matka Królów], trans. Sergio Pitol, México: Era, 1968.
  • En Polonia, es decir en ninguna parte [Nierzeczywistość], trans. Marek Hofman, Buenos Aires: Editorial Sudamericana, [1983].
  • Variaciones postales [Wariacje pocztowe], trans. Bárbara Gill, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires: Adriana Hidalgo editora, 2017.

Swedish:

  • I Polen, dvs inqanstans… [Nierzeczywistość], trans. M. Teeman, Stockholm: P. A. Norsted, 1979.
  • Månaderna: Warszawa okt. 1978 dec. 1979 [Miesiące, 1978–1979], trans. Mira Teeman, Stockholm: Norstedt, [1985].

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