‘All of us, regardless of our historical situations, are hunting for our past…. We’ll always be talking it through with our psychotherapists, with historians – today’s detectives.’ — Ewa Lipska

An evening of poetry and prose reading followed by a conversation with acclaimed Polish poet Ewa Lipska and translator Barbara Bogoczek. Ewa Lipska’s poems and excerpts from her debut novel ‘Sefer’ will be included in the readings. Chaired by JL Williams.

One of Poland’s best-known poets, Ewa Lipska is today a major figure in European literature. In their translation of ‘Sefer’, Lipska’s first novel, translators Barbara Bogoczek and Tony Howard deftly capture the poet’s unmistakable voice – cool and precise, gently ironic, and deeply humane.

Music based on motifs from ‘Sefer’ will accompany the readings.

Born in 1945 in Kraków, Ewa Lipska worked for many years as the poetry editor of the literary magazine Pismo, while being active in Poland’s Nowa Fala (New Wave) and developing in her own unique direction. Her prizes include Robert Graves PEN Club Award and PEN Club Award for Lifetime Literary Achievement. Her poetry has been translated into numerous languages.
Barbara Bogoczek is a translator based in London. Working with Tony Howard she has translated works by Polish authors: Tadeusz Różewicz, Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska, Hanna Krall, and others.