Moja ukochana i ja

My Beloved and I is an autobiography. In Poland, same-sex couples are still unable to formalise their relationship, the inheritance of their property remains unregulated and uncertain, and their bond remains a private fact that can be disputed at any point in time. The story Renata Lis has to tell, of living in a stable and happy relationship with Elżbieta since the mid-1990s, could serve as an argument in the ongoing debate. The author does not, however, use the impassioned language of political debate and firebrand journalism; if she speaks of passion, it is purely romantic. 

Renata Lis draws from books by Didier Eribon and Annie Ernaux, and from the wealth of humanist literature on same-sex relationships, but the power of her book lies in her self-analysis. Of herself she writes: born into a family with no cultural ambitions, in a “rough” part of Warsaw. Her breakthrough came with her decision in high school to continue her studies, and then taking seminars with Professor Maria Janion. Yet her greatest turning point was meeting Elżbieta, a person with her own view on many things in life, her feet planted firmly on the ground, never willing to give up. It was an enormous challenge for them to run a small publishing house together, operating in a fragile economy with unclear rules, and with no initial capital to get them off the ground. 

Two new bits of information have emerged since this book was published: the publishing house has closed its doors, and Renata and Elżbieta have tied the knot in Denmark.