Jerzy Pilch
Encyclopedia
Jerzy Pilch (ˈjɛʐɨ ˈpilx; born 10 August 1952 in Wisła, Poland
) is one of the most important contemporary Polish writers
and journalist
s. Critics have compared Pilch's style to Witold Gombrowicz
, Milan Kundera
, or Bohumil Hrabal
.
Born and raised in the small town of Wisła in the Beskids
in southern Poland
, Pilch studied Polish philology at the Jagiellonian University
in Kraków
and became active in the city's underground literary scene in the late 1970s. He began making his name under the martial law
in the 1980s, by writing and reading essays for the "spoken magazine" Na Głos ("Out loud"), a regular spoken-word event organised by the oppositional Klub Inteligencji Katolickiej
("Club of Polish Catholic Intellectuals") (even though Pilch himself is Lutheran).
In 1989 Pilch began to contribute highly popular satirical essays for the Kraków-based liberal Catholic weekly Tygodnik Powszechny
, which established him as a public intellectual. Pilch's best essays from his column in Tygodnik Powszechny appeared in three collections entitled Rozpacz z powodu utraty furmanki ("Despair caused by the loss of a wagon", 1994), Tezy o głupocie, piciu i umieraniu ("Theses on stupidity, drinking and dying", 1995), and Bezpowrotnie utracona leworęczność ("The irreversible loss of left-handedness", 1998).
Also in 1989, he was conferred the renowned Kościelski Award
for his debut novel Wyznania twórcy pokątnej literatury erotycznej ("Confessions of an author of illicit erotic literature"), an ironic insider's account of the Kraków art scene.
Pilch's second novel, Spis cudzołożnic ("List of Adulteresses", 1993) , tells the story of a failed eccentric writer guiding a foreign guest on a tour of Kraków and through a curio collection of national myths and the absurd socialist realities of the 1980s. In 1995, actor Jerzy Stuhr
made the novel into a film as his directing debut (under the international title List of Lovers).
The same year, Pilch published his third novel Inne rozkoszy ("Other pleasures"), the first to appear in English (as His Current Woman, 2002) (see external links).
Pilch quit his work for Tygodnik Powszechny in 1999, left the Kraków scene entirely, and settled down in Warsaw
, where he began to write a column for the weekly Polityka
. A collection of texts from this series was published as Upadek człowieka pod Dworcem Centralnym ("The Fall of Man in front of the Central Station") in 2002.
Pilch's most successful book so far is his fourth novel Pod Mocnym Aniołem ("The Strong Angel Inn", 2000), a satirical take on the "drinking novel" genre, which was awarded a NIKE
, the most prestigious Polish literary award, the following year. In 2009, it was translated into English as The Mighty Angel, and in 2010, Tysiąc spokojnych miast was also translated as A Thousand Peaceful Cities.
Most recently, Pilch tried his hand at drama; the play Narty Ojca Świętego presents a small-town community excited by the rumour that John Paul II (who was still alive at the time) was going to retire to the town. The plot satirizes the Polish cult around John Paul II, the taboo to even think about the pope's death, as well as the commercialization of the pope's image.
Several of Pilch's books have been translated into various languages, including Bulgarian
, Dutch
, English
, Estonian
, French
, Lithuanian
, Russian
, Slovak
, and Spanish
. Nonetheless, Pilch remains little known outside the circles of connoisseurs of East European literature.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
) is one of the most important contemporary Polish writers
Polish literature
Polish literature is the literary tradition of Poland. Most Polish literature has been written in the Polish language, though other languages, used in Poland over the centuries, have also contributed to Polish literary traditions, including Yiddish, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, German and...
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
s. Critics have compared Pilch's style to Witold Gombrowicz
Witold Gombrowicz
Witold Marian Gombrowicz was a Polish novelist and dramatist. His works are characterized by deep psychological analysis, a certain sense of paradox and an absurd, anti-nationalist flavor...
, Milan Kundera
Milan Kundera
Milan Kundera , born 1 April 1929, is a writer of Czech origin who has lived in exile in France since 1975, where he became a naturalized citizen in 1981. He is best known as the author of The Unbearable Lightness of Being, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, and The Joke. Kundera has written in...
, or Bohumil Hrabal
Bohumil Hrabal
Bohumil Hrabal was a Czech writer, regarded as one of the best writers of the 20th century.- Life and work :...
.
Beskids
The Beskids , ) is a traditional name for a series of Eastern European mountain ranges.- Definition :The Beskids are approximately 600 km in length and 50–70 km in width...
in southern Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Pilch studied Polish philology at the Jagiellonian University
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
and became active in the city's underground literary scene in the late 1970s. He began making his name under the martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
in the 1980s, by writing and reading essays for the "spoken magazine" Na Głos ("Out loud"), a regular spoken-word event organised by the oppositional Klub Inteligencji Katolickiej
Klub Inteligencji Katolickiej
Klub Inteligencji Katolickiej is a Polish organization grouping Catholic intellectuals. KIK is organized into a series of local chapters ....
("Club of Polish Catholic Intellectuals") (even though Pilch himself is Lutheran).
In 1989 Pilch began to contribute highly popular satirical essays for the Kraków-based liberal Catholic weekly Tygodnik Powszechny
Tygodnik Powszechny
Tygodnik Powszechny is a Polish Roman Catholic weekly magazine, focusing on social and cultural issues. Established in 1945 under the auspices of Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, Jerzy Turowicz was its editor-in-chief until his death in 1999. He was succeeded by priest Adam Boniecki.-History:The...
, which established him as a public intellectual. Pilch's best essays from his column in Tygodnik Powszechny appeared in three collections entitled Rozpacz z powodu utraty furmanki ("Despair caused by the loss of a wagon", 1994), Tezy o głupocie, piciu i umieraniu ("Theses on stupidity, drinking and dying", 1995), and Bezpowrotnie utracona leworęczność ("The irreversible loss of left-handedness", 1998).
Also in 1989, he was conferred the renowned Kościelski Award
Koscielski Award
The Kościelski Award is an independent Polish literary award, awarded since 1962 by the Geneva-based Kościelski Foundation. The jury issues annual awards to "promising writers" 40 years of age or younger...
for his debut novel Wyznania twórcy pokątnej literatury erotycznej ("Confessions of an author of illicit erotic literature"), an ironic insider's account of the Kraków art scene.
Pilch's second novel, Spis cudzołożnic ("List of Adulteresses", 1993) , tells the story of a failed eccentric writer guiding a foreign guest on a tour of Kraków and through a curio collection of national myths and the absurd socialist realities of the 1980s. In 1995, actor Jerzy Stuhr
Jerzy Stuhr
Jerzy Stuhr is one of the most popular, influential and versatile Polish actors. He also works as a screenwriter, film director and drama professor...
made the novel into a film as his directing debut (under the international title List of Lovers).
The same year, Pilch published his third novel Inne rozkoszy ("Other pleasures"), the first to appear in English (as His Current Woman, 2002) (see external links).
Pilch quit his work for Tygodnik Powszechny in 1999, left the Kraków scene entirely, and settled down in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, where he began to write a column for the weekly Polityka
Polityka
Polityka is a centre-left weekly newsmagazine in Poland. With a circulation of 170,000 it is the country's biggest selling weekly, ahead of Newsweek's Polish edition and Wprost. Today, the magazine has a slightly intellectual, social liberal profile, setting it apart from the more conservative...
. A collection of texts from this series was published as Upadek człowieka pod Dworcem Centralnym ("The Fall of Man in front of the Central Station") in 2002.
Pilch's most successful book so far is his fourth novel Pod Mocnym Aniołem ("The Strong Angel Inn", 2000), a satirical take on the "drinking novel" genre, which was awarded a NIKE
Nike Award
The NIKE Literary Award is one of the most prestigious awards for Polish literature. Established in 1997 and funded by Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland's second largest daily paper, and the consulting company NICOM, it is conferred annually in October for the best book of a single living author writing in...
, the most prestigious Polish literary award, the following year. In 2009, it was translated into English as The Mighty Angel, and in 2010, Tysiąc spokojnych miast was also translated as A Thousand Peaceful Cities.
Most recently, Pilch tried his hand at drama; the play Narty Ojca Świętego presents a small-town community excited by the rumour that John Paul II (who was still alive at the time) was going to retire to the town. The plot satirizes the Polish cult around John Paul II, the taboo to even think about the pope's death, as well as the commercialization of the pope's image.
Several of Pilch's books have been translated into various languages, including Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
, Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Estonian
Estonian language
Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Lithuanian
Lithuanian language
Lithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, Slovak
Slovak language
Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
, and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. Nonetheless, Pilch remains little known outside the circles of connoisseurs of East European literature.
Books
- 1988: Wyznania twórcy pokątnej literatury erotycznej, Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie. ISBN 83-08-03379-2 ("Confessions of an author of illicit erotic literature")
- 1993: Spis cudzołożnic. Proza podróżna, Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie. ISBN 83-08-03193-5 ("List of adulteresses. Travel prose"; screen version under the international title List of Lovers, 1995).
- 1994: Rozpacz z powodu utraty furmanki, Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie. ISBN 83-08-03457-8 ("Despair caused by the loss of a wagon")
- 1995: Inne rozkosze, Kraków: Wydawnictwo "a5". ISBN 83-85568-44-1 ("Other pleasures"; translated as His Current Woman, Evanston, Ill.: Northwestern University Press/Hydra Books 2002, ISBN 0-8101-1918-8).
- 1996: Monolog z lisiej jamy, Kraków: Universitas. ISBN 83-7052-365-X ("Monologue from a foxhole")
- 1997: Tezy o głupocie, piciu i umieraniu, Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie. ISBN 83-08-03424-1 ("Theses on stupidity, drinking and dying")
- 1997: Tysiąc spokojnych miast, Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie. ISBN 83-08-03243-5 ("Thousand silent cities"; translated as A Thousand Peaceful Cities, Rochester, NY: Open Letter Books 2010, ISBN 978-1934824276).
- 1998: Bezpowrotnie utracona leworęczność, Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie. ISBN 83-08-02909-4 ("The irreversible loss of left-handedness")
- 2000 (with Olga TokarczukOlga TokarczukOlga Tokarczuk is one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful Polish writers of her generation, particularly noted for the hallmark mythical tone of her writing. She trained as a psychologist at the University of Warsaw. She has published a collection of poems, three novels,...
and Andrzej StasiukAndrzej StasiukAndrzej Stasiuk is one of the most successful and internationally acclaimed contemporary Polish writers, journalists and literary critics...
): Opowieści wigilijne, Wałbrzych: Ruta. ISBN 83-912865-7-6 ("Christmas tales") - 2000: Pod Mocnym Aniołem, KrakówKrakówKraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
: Wydawnictwo Literackie. ISBN 83-08-03072-6 ("The Strong Angel Inn"; translated as The Mighty Angel, Rochester, NY: Open Letter Books 2009, ISBN 978-1-934824-08-5). - 2002: Upadek człowieka pod Dworcem Centralnym ("The Fall of Man in front of the Central Station")
- 2004: Miasto utrapienia, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Świat Książki. ISBN 83-7391-370-X ("City of Woe")
- 2004: Narty Ojca Świętego, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Świat Książki. ISBN 83-7391-728-4 ("The Holy Father's Skis")
- 2006: Moje pierwsze samobójstwo, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Świat Książki. ISBN 83-247-0473-6 ("My First Suicide")
- 2007: Pociąg do życia wiecznego, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Świat Książki
- 2008: Marsz Polonia, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Świat Książki
External links
- Review of The Holy Father's Skis in The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
- Pilch at culture.pl
- Excerpt from His Current Woman at polishwriting.net
- Jerzy Pilch at Open Letter Books
- Excerpt from The Mighty Angel at Open Letter Books