The article discusses the reception of Stanisław Lem’s work in Romania, with particular emphasis on the translation of his oeuvre into Romanian. This subject is important due to the growing interest in science fiction literature and Lem’s unique position: apart from Andrzej Sapkowski (representing the fantasy genre), he remains the only Polish science fiction author whose works have been translated into Romanian. The article provides an overview of the various forms and channels through which Lem’s work reaches Romanian readers, primarily through translations, literary criticism, and cultural events associated with the writer. The study highlights the importance of direct translations from Polish and the impact of indirect translations on the perception of Lem’s work, while also acknowledging the role of cultural promotion. The research includes an analysis of existing literature, a review of translations and an examination of literary blogs. The findings indicate that although Lem’s work is highly esteemed among science fiction enthusiasts, he remains a niche writer in Romania. The article contributes to a broader understanding of the reception of Polish literature in Romania and the role of translations in shaping the image of Polish literature in Romanian culture.

The article examines the reception of the work and poetic thought of Czesław Miłosz in China, focusing on their influence on contemporary Chinese poets and literary critics. Miłosz’s particular significance for the development of contemporary Chinese poetry, especially in the context of intercultural inspirations and the adaptation of modernist ideas, makes this an important area of inquiry. The article identifies two principal currents in the reception of Miłosz in China: the perception of him as a moral authority and as a model of modernist poetry. Particular attention is devoted to Miłosz’s influence on poets such as Ouyang Jianghe, Wang Jiaxin, and Xi Chuan, who adopted his ideas concerning the function of poetry, language, poetic identity, and the relationship between history and literature. The article also discusses the impact of Miłosz’s thought on the literary critic Lin Xianzhi, particularly in the context of sensitivity to suffering, the ethics of language, and historical responsibility. Drawing on comparative analysis, the article demonstrates how Miłosz’s ideas were adapted within the Chinese cultural context while simultaneously emphasizing the universal character of his work. This article contributes to the field of research on intercultural inspirations in poetry, showing how Miłosz became a bridge between Polish and Chinese literature.

The article offers a reinterpretation – within the framework of the environmental humanities – of the dialogue between Czesław Miłosz and the philosophical concept of inhumanism developed by the Californian poet John Robinson Jeffers (1887–1962). The core of their dispute, which concerned fundamental ontological and theological questions such as the status of human consciousness and the place of the human being within the hierarchy of beings, lies in the opposition between Miłosz’s anthropocentric stance and Jeffers’s naturalistic pantheism. Whereas Miłosz, expressing a certain aversion to an “unfriendly” Nature, sought grounding in Christian religion and in the universal “labyrinth of culture,” Jeffers celebrated the elemental force underlying existence and its manifestations in the inexhaustible forms of both animate and inanimate nature. The article also incorporates an American perspective, focusing in particular on the poem Reply to Miłosz’s Poem “To Robinson Jeffers” by the Californian poet Michael Whitt, included in the volume Wild Harvest: Poems from the Land (1995). Whitt’s poetic response to Miłosz’s work, situated within an ecological discourse, attempts to elucidate the reasons – such as cultural differences and divergent historical experiences – why an understanding with the Polish poet proved unattainable. In an era marked by intensifying anthropogenic pressure and accelerating climate change, a renewed reading of the “dispute” between Miłosz, aligned with the “human order,” and Jeffers, who prioritized the well-being of the planet over the particular interests of humankind, appears both timely and necessary.

This article explores the reception of translations of 20th-century Polish literature in leading Ukrainian periodicals. Given the difficult state of the national publishing market during the first fifteen years of independence, these journals became the primary – and in some cases, remain the only – venue for the publication of many works by modern Polish writers. The selection of titles – “Vsesvit,” “Yi,” “Potiah 76,” and “Kyivska Rus” – reflects their distinct editorial missions, each offering a different perspective on their role during a period of national cultural upheaval. Most of the texts published in these journals engaged with political, social, and cultural issues, fuelling vital debates among Ukrainian intellectuals about key post-Soviet geopolitical and cultural questions. By providing a systematic description and detailed inventory of these translations, this study reveals the mechanisms behind the formation of the Ukrainian canon of neighbouring literatures. Organized chronologically, it highlights the shifting dynamics of this reception, which in turn mirrors broader changes in value systems and civilizational orientations within Ukrainian society after 1991. In the early 1990s, translations often focused on works challenging the Soviet totalitarian legacy. From the mid-1990s, attention shifted toward texts exploring national and cultural transformations in post-Soviet countries, their civilizational encounters, and a sense of belonging and dialogue with tradition. Only from the early 21st century has this spectrum expanded to include Polish publications addressing the complex process of post-communist countries integrating into Europe, including the phenomenon of Central and Eastern Europe and European identity.

This article provides a synthetic overview of Polish literature translated into Lithuanian between 2014 and 2024 in the Republic of Lithuania, as well as profiles of the most prominent translators and their translation activities undertaken in cooperation with local publishers. It also presents strategies for popularizing Polish fiction among diverse audi­ences (literature for adults, children, controversial literature, the case of Józef Mackiewicz’s prose). The discussion is cross-
sectional in nature, situating translations from Polish against the backdrop of general development trends in the Lithuanian publishing market over the last decade of this century. The presentation of the most important and artistically interesting strategies for popularizing Polish fiction (meetings accompanying the promotion of translations, exhibitions, film adaptations of works, the latest comparative studies) leads to the revelation of the long-term culture-creating effects of translators’ activities (interest in the works of Witold Gombrowicz or Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz), resulting in an attempt to identify the local specificity of the reception of Polish literature in the Republic of Lithuania. Research based on publishing market studies, reviews, and evaluations of publication promotion strategies also takes into account artifacts from the field of commemorative art honoring Polish literary figures in Lithuania.

This article examines the presence of Polish poetry published in Italy from the 1930s to the present day, as identified and discussed through a bibliographic survey of poetry anthologies published in Italy in recent decades. Many anthologies of Polish poetry have been published with the aim of popularizing the genre, while also striving to present the Polish poetic landscape as fully as possible. These publications offer readers the opportunity to become acquainted with the most influential works and ideas. Particular attention is devoted to the editors and authors involved in producing such volumes. The text also reflects on the dynamics of creating a new canon, which does not always align with the one established in Poland. Depending on the editorial policies of individual publishing series, the project of presenting the anthology as an autonomous literary form and genre – as we shall see – is realized by entrusting the editing to experts or specialists in the field. One might even say that publishers most often entrust the editing of anthologies to none other than recognized scholars, qualified translators, and editors of proven prestige.

This article looks at the work of Marta Reszczyńska-Stypińska, focusing on her contribution to émigré literature and her role in sustaining national identity beyond the borders of the homeland. It begins from the observation that the Polish literary canon still tends to marginalize writers working in exile, and argues for a reassessment of their place within it. Reszczyńska-Stypińska’s writing offers a compelling example of how collective memory, traumatic experience, and reflection on the individual’s place in the world intersect. The article discusses the range of literary forms she employs – from introspective poetry and narrative prose to drama – showing how these modes intertwine with themes of national identity, loss, and nostalgia. Particular attention is given to literature as a space of dialogue between the past and the present, and as a means of shaping cultural community in dispersed contexts. The article employs an interdisciplinary approach, combining literary studies with postcolonial theories and cultural memory studies. Analyses of literary texts and reviews are juxtaposed with historical and cultural contexts, allowing for the capture of the unique hybridity of the author’s experiences. The study reveals that Reszczyńska-Stypińska’s work expands the boundaries of the literary canon, offering a fresh perspective on émigré and women’s writing, and on its role in preserving national heritage. More broadly, the article contributes to discussions of transnational literature by emphasizing the importance of female experience in rethinking the national canon and enriching debates on literature of memory and testimony.

This article examines the reception of the works of two Polish authors who have lived abroad for many years while continuing to write in Polish: Wioletta Grzegorzewska, a poet and prose writer based in England, and Grażyna Plebanek, a novelist living in Brussels. Their biographies and literary works display significant similarities and can be situated within the category of women’s writing, with the migratory dimension as their most prominent shared feature. To date, no comprehensive study has addressed the reception of their works in Poland and abroad. A compilation of data on their publications, translations, award nominations, adaptations, interviews, and reviews in Polish and foreign media, as well as participation in literary events in Poland and other countries, demonstrates that both Grzegorzewska and Plebanek operate simultaneously within three spheres: the domestic, the Polish diaspora, and the international. In each of these, they have achieved considerable success. Particularly evident in Plebanek’s case is the aspect of her writing activity that involves disseminating knowledge about Poland through her work and countering negative stereotypes about the country. The analysis further shows that Grzegorzewska has become one of the most recognisable Polish authors in the English-speaking world, while Plebanek has attained a comparable position in the French-speaking world.

This article examines the work of Agnieszka Dale – a Polish writer who has lived in London for over 20 years and is the author of short stories written in English. The stories collected in the volume Fox Season and Other Short Stories (2017) focus on the political events and social tensions preceding Brexit, depicting the everyday experiences of migrants and the atmosphere of growing uncertainty. The aim of this article is to provide an introductory discussion of Dale’s prose, as well as an attempt to capture how literature addresses the socio-cultural complexity of processes resulting from political conditions that have significantly altered the status, position, and sense of belonging of European Union citizens living in the United Kingdom. The analysis also examines selected narrative strategies, ways of constructing the migration experience, and representations of intercultural relations present in the author’s short stories, with particular emphasis on the female perspective and the experience of everyday life. Dale’s work, still relatively unknown to Polish readers, constitutes an important and valuable voice in the emerging BrexLit movement, documenting the migration experience, identity tensions in contemporary Europe, and the transformations of contemporary forms of cultural identity.

Julia Hartwig’s work is rooted not only in Polish culture, but also in French and American cultures. The poet emphasised the need to view native literature in the “neighborhood” of other literatures, and she herself introduced the works of foreign authors by translating them into Polish. While Hartwig’s translational achievements have already been the subject of academic research, the aspect of her activity related to transferring Polish literature into new linguistic and cultural contexts remains largely unexplored. This article attempts to fill this research gap, paying particular attention to the literary transfers that began with the poet’s departure for the USA in the early 1970s. The interpretation of Hartwig’s American Diary and the analysis of selected unpublished materials from the poet’s archive (held at the Adam Mickiewicz Museum of Literature in Warsaw), undertaken from the perspective of Pascale Casanova’s concept of the ‘World Republic of Letters’, make it possible to examine the poet’s transfer strategies and to advance the thesis that she assumed the role of a “literary travelling saleswoman”, promoting the achievements of “minor literature” within the global centre.

Upper Silesia is a region with a complex cultural and national identity, shaped by frequent changes in state affiliation and the blending of Polish, German, and Czech traditions. The turbulent history of this region led many Silesians to emigrate in the 19th century, including to the United States of America. In her reportage Miasteczko Panna Maria. Ślązacy na Dzikim Zachodzie [The Town of Panna Maria. Silesians in the Wild West] (2024), Ewa Winnicka reconstructs this story, focusing on the fate of the inhabitants of the village of Płużnica Wielka in Upper Silesia, who arrived in America on December 3, 1854, seeking a new life. Her narrative places the Silesians’ experience in the broader context of the history of Texas, showing the Silesian-American character of the region and the ways emigrant identity was formed. Winnicka’s work also offers significant glottodidactic potential. The story of Silesian emigrants living in a multicultural environment can serve as engaging material for teaching Polish as a foreign language. Relevant excerpts from the reportage can be used to practice writing descriptive texts, following the rules of text composition proposed by Ewa Lipińska. The article aims both to introduce learners to the history of Silesian emigrants in Texas and to help them develop their written expression at an intermediate level.

The article presents an analysis of the status of the Polish language within the multilingual environment of New York City and its position among the most used languages spoken by the residents of New York State. The rationale for undertaking this topic stems from the growing significance of migration, assimilation, and integration processes, which influence the condition of minority languages, including the Polish language and the Polish immigrant community residing in New York City. The article discusses the functioning of the Polish language in the context of the dominance of English, existing language policies, and the evolving cultural identity of the Polish diaspora in New York. The main arguments suggest that, despite the declining number of speakers and the progressive assimilation of younger generations, the Polish language continues to play a significant role in maintaining ethnic identity. At the same time, its survival depends on institutional support and its presence in everyday life, particularly within the family and educational settings. The research methodology is based on the analysis of statistical data (census records and institutional reports), a review of the relevant literature, and the author’s own research conducted among the Polish diaspora in New York over the course of two decades. The findings indicate a decreasing number of individuals declaring Polish ancestry, as well as the growing dominance of the English language among younger generations. The article contributes to the fields of sociolinguistic and migration studies, drawing on theories of bilingualism, ethnicity, and the preservation of minority languages within diaspora communities.

This text is a scientific outcome of the project “Young Polish Language at the Intersection of Cultures: Promotion, Knowledge, Education,” funded by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange and conducted in 2023–2024. The study focused on the youth variant of the Polish language (młodomowa/juwentolekt) as used among Polish diaspora youth in Italy and young Italians learning Polish. The objective was to determine the level of familiarity, modes of usage, and socio-cultural factors influencing the development of this linguistic variety. The research material was collected through an online survey completed by 174 individuals, primarily aged 11–14 and 15–18, from two study groups (Polish-language and Italian-language surveys). Quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed that Polish diaspora youth actively use młodomowa in daily communication, whereas young Italians tend to “know” it passively, recognizing internationalized verbal and non-verbal signs more frequently and using them occasionally. The study highlights the role of młodomowa in social integration, emotional expression, and effective communication, emphasizing the need to consider its inclusion in Polish language education.

This article explores the meanings embedded in the titular concept of “antibiography” in Wojciech Kuczok’s novel. The notion functions, among other things, as a record of the son’s internal disintegration caused by the actions of an abusive father, while simultaneously bearing witness to a rupture that constitutes the very process of subject formation. The study seeks to identify and analyse the contradictions and paradoxes inherent in this neologistic concept, which emerge as the central dynamic of antibiography itself. These include tensions between identity and the fragmentation of the self, existence and annihilation, as well as narrative and its negation. The discussion is situated within several, often divergent, interpretative frameworks, including theories of narrative and the impact of violence on personal development. Violence is understood here as a cruel method of upbringing that leads the subject to experience a sense of non-existence. The article also engages with antinatalist thought, particularly the work of David Benatar, one of the most influential contemporary representatives of this philosophical position (reference to concepts such as a life not worth beginning, a life worth or not worth continuing, and the asymmetry between pain and pleasure). This plurality of perspectives, combined with a close reading of Kuczok’s novel, seeks to capture the broad spectrum of meanings and ambiguities inherent in the concept under discussion.

The article offers an analysis of Znikanie: Proza jak zastrzyk w serce by Izabela Morska within the framework of contemporary research on literary representations of illness. This study addresses the need to extend existing interpretations of the novel, which have predominantly focused on its autopathographic dimension. It argues that the titular “disappearing” should be understood as a category that captures not only a somatic experience, but also a gradual loss of subjectivity
at the social and institutional levels. The analysis draws on malady studies and disability studies, with particular attention to the critique of ableism and the social model of disability. It examines selected aspects of the novel, including the experience of pain and somatization, interactions with the medical system, exclusion from the academic sphere, the economic consequences of illness, and processes of identity transformation. The analysis shows that “disappearing” operates across multiple dimensions of the protagonist’s existence: the body, professional status, social relations, and symbolic visibility. Morska’s novel exposes mechanisms of institutional erasure while simultaneously indicating the potential for the reintegration of identity through narrative practices. The article contributes to research in medical humanities, disability studies, and twenty-first-century women’s writing.

The article addresses the issue of the narrative agency of the body in the context of Olga Tokarczuk’s literary oeuvre, drawing on the assumptions of material ecocriticism. The choice of this topic is motivated by the need to redefine the relationship between humans and nature in the face of the contemporary ecological crisis. The main focus of the study lies in examining the interplay between material and discursive elements in Tokarczuk’s works, which together generate narrative meanings. The article analyzes anthropological and literary representations of the body as a medium of communication with nature, emphasizing its agency and its capacity to generate new narratives. These issues resonate with Carl Gustav Jung’s concept of Unus Mundus, which appears in Tokarczuk’s writing. The key arguments point to a posthumanist approach to literature, in which the body is not merely an object of representation but an active participant in the creative process. Hybrid figures and the phenomenon of pain are presented as forms of communication that transcend human experience, revealing the narrative agency of the body. The methodology employed involves literary analysis conducted within the framework of material ecocriticism, demonstrating how the body and nature co-create literary texts. The conclusions situate the study within the context of contemporary environmental humanities.

This article discusses Po obu stronach oceanu [On Both Sides of the Ocean], the memoirs of the Polish émigré writer Zofia Arciszewska, published in 1976 by the Polish Cultural Foundation in London. The work is a retrospective account of the author’s life, interwoven with reminiscences of other women who participated in the defence of Warsaw in 1939. Arciszewska’s memoirs are notable for their strong emphasis on female solidarity and sisterhood. Women provided one another with emotional support at times when information about the fate of their husbands and sons – who were fighting or imprisoned – was unavailable. They formed networks of informal organisations that assisted those who had been arrested, smuggled medicines, letters from abroad, and travel documents, and distributed underground leaflets. By documenting the everyday life of the capital during the first days of war and occupation, Arciszewska conveys women’s emotions: their courage as well as their fear, hope, and compassion. She assumes the role of a custodian of memory, not so much of historical events as of the attitudes and actions of Warsaw women. In this sense, her memoirs serve as a form of resistance against forgetting and indifference toward these silent heroines of the war. It is worth highlighting that this piece can be read not only as an emotional story about family, separation, war, emigration, and building a life “on both sides of the ocean,” but also as a record of historical events. The numerous dates, places, names, and institutions interwoven into the narrative create a portrait of the era. From this perspective, Arciszewska’s memoirs constitute a valuable source for research on the experiences of Polish women and men in emigration.

Summaries and abstracts are short, concise texts primarily designed to inform readers about the content of a work. This article examines the meanings of these terms in the Polish language and discusses how the corresponding text genres function in practice, based on an analysis of author guidelines, a website, and published scholarly articles from 40 randomly selected journals. Dictionary data indicate that the word streszczenie has a longer tradition in Polish (extending beyond academic contexts), is more productive in terms of word formation, has a broader semantic scope, and serves as a hypernym for abstrakt. Furthermore, one can only summarize something that has already been written or produced, whereas an abstract can serve as a preview of a text yet to be written. Lexical data alone prove insufficient to distinguish between a summary of a scientific text and an abstract, as both lexemes can function interchangeably (along with many other synonyms). An observation of how both concepts and genres function in practice has shown that a summary and an abstract are mandatory elements when submitting a text for publication. They may have similar length and structure, and they are required to be prepared in Polish and English. These terms are often used interchangeably; only 2.5% of journals (from the sample) consciously distinguish between the two types.