We have started up a Polish reading group and invite readers of Polish with some involvement in or awareness of the UK publishing market to join. The focus is on contemporary literary fiction. The group is being organised by Tasja Dorkofikis (editor of PEN Atlas), and Antonia Lloyd-Jones (translator), who have picked out some titles to set the ball rolling. Meetings to discuss each book will be held in London roughly every four to six weeks. Dates and location to be found by clicking the ‘Where and When’ tab below.
The books identified for discussion for winter-spring 2013 are: Joanna Bator’s Ciemno, Prawie Noc (Dark, Almost Night) – already discussed at our first meeting in February; Wojciech Kuczok’s Gnój (Muck) and Piotr Paziński’s Pensjonat (The Boarding House) – to be discussed at our second meeting in late April; Sylwia Chutnik’s Cwaniary (Hustlers) and Michał Witkowski’s Drwal (The Lumberjack). (The books will not necessarily be discussed in this order as at each meeting we will decide what to read next).
Please add your comments to the author pages below. We’d love to see you at the meetings if possible. This form of discussion, on line and in person, may provide a publishing opportunity for a book that deserves to be translated into English.
- Extracts in English are being added to this website where possible – see the relevant author’s page. All the books are available from the Merlin website as print or e-books.
- Read the excerpts, then comment online via the author pages.
- Come to a meet-up to discuss what has been read. You can be sure of lively, well informed discussion.
Reading period:
12 February 2013 – date tbc
Meet-up:
The first meeting, to discuss Joanna Bator’s Ciemno, Prawie Noc, will be held on Tuesday 12 February, 7pm, at The Coach and Horses, a gastropub at 26-28 Ray Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 3DJ (Ray Street is opposite the Free Word Centre and the nearest tubes are Farringdon or King’s Cross).
The second meeting, to discuss Piotr Paziński’s Pensjonat and Wojciech Kuczok’s Gnój, will be held on Monday 29 April, 7pm, at The Coach and Horses, 26-28 Ray Street, London (full details above).
The third meeting, to discuss Morfina by Stefan Twardoch and Male Lisy by Justyna Bargielska will be held on Tuesday 2 July, 7pm, at The Coach and Horses, 26-28 Ray Street, London (full details above).
