Robert Rybicki

(b. 1976) – poet and performer.

He has published the poetry collections “Epifanie i katatonie” (Epiphanies and Catatonics, 2003), “Motta robali” (Worm Mottoes, 2005), “Stos gitar” (A Pile of Guitars, 2009), “Gram, mózgu” (Mind, Games, 2010), “Masakra kalaczakra” (Kalachakra Massacre, 2011), “Dar meneli” (The Squatters’ Gift, 2017), “Pogo głosek” (Sound Pogo, 2019), “blask glac” (bald blaze, 2020), “myśl śliną” (think lick, 2022) and “Kotlet frazy” (A Phrase Cutlet, 2024), as well as the poetry collection “Podręcznik naukowy dla onironautów 1998–2018” (Science Handbook for Oneironauts 1998-2018, 2018) edited by Dawid Mateusz. The Squatters’ Gift received the “Juliusz” Upper Silesian Literary Award (2018), which changed its format in subsequent years. Rybicki, together with Miłosz Biedrzycki, was the co-founder, “lecturer” and active member of the informal art group Krakowska Szkoła Poezji im. A. Fredry (A. Fredro Kraków School of Poetry), the spiritus movens of the regular Open Mic readings in Kraków, a participant of poetry performances, initiator of many artistic activities. The head of the jury for the 2018 “Juliusz” Upper Silesian Literary Award, Arkadiusz Żychliński, said in his laudation speech that the award was given to “a book which stands apart, to the side, which goes beyond, turns inside out, which perturbs and irritates – a book which wants to be an intentional interference in a quick and stable transmission – but of course not an interference only for the sake of interfering, but one caused by wanting to find a different signalling band, a better communication frequency”. Chapter member Monika Glosowitz introduced the laureate as “an anarchist, squatter, vagabond, mythomaniac and unsettled soul of the turn of the centuries, the first and last Polish Dadaist, a legend of poetry circles, transcending and connecting generations”.

Rybicki comes from Rybnik. According to his own words, after leaving his hometown he “lived in Torbay, London, Prague, Vienna, Wrocław, Gliwice and Poznań; after an intense and fruitful stay in Kraków (2016–2023) […] he settled in Poznań, near a large forest”. Two volumes of his poetry have been published in Czech translation. The prestigious Dalkey Archive Press in America also published a large selection of his poetry in English translation by the eminent poet and translator Mark Tardi.