Born in 1945, a poet, essayist, and prose writer, and one of the most famous contemporary Polish writers in the world today.

He made his debut in the late 1960s as a founding member of the New Wave poetry movement, standing up against the falsifications of reality and the appropriation of language by communist ideology and propaganda. He joined Julian Kornhauser in writing the flagship book of the New Wave – a volume of sketches titled Świat nie przedstawiony [The Unrepresented World] (1974). It contained a critique of literature that avoids contact with reality, does not serve the collective, and overuses allegories. “Speak the truth you serve” reads one line from a poem by Zagajewski that became a slogan for those times.

Like other New Wave poets, particularly Stanisław Barańczak and Ryszard Krynicki, Zagajewski joined the democratic opposition in the 1970s. At the same time, his writing began to depart from the New Wave program. In the Solidarity, Solitude volume of sketches (1986) published in Paris, where he went for personal reasons a year after the outbreak of Martial Law, he underwent a major shift of focus. More important than identifying with the collective was the solitary spiritual quest, contemplating the real world and the world of art, which often intersect, and travels, which are stages of indoctrination. Subsequent collections of poems, beginning with To Go to Lvov, brought marvelous epiphanies, records of almost mystical experiences resulting from careful and sensitive observation of nature, people, works of architecture, pictures, listening to music, readings by poet friends of different generations, and philosophers.

The title of the above-mentioned volume, taken from one of its poems, introduces another important trope in Zagajewski's poetry: the lost little homeland. Zagajewski's family comes from Lvov, a multiethnic city that was an important locus of Polish culture which was incorporated within the borders of the Soviet Union after World War II, and presently belongs to Ukraine. The poet was born in 1945, in Lvov, but a few months later his family moved to Gliwice, in Upper Silesia. Memories of Lvov kept alive in the family home have nothing to do with ressentiment claims in Zagajewski's work; rather, they serve to construct the myth of an ideal city, a private Jerusalem, and the poet-exile who is forever on the road.

Zagajewski is a poet of delight, bedazzlement, affirmation and fundamental existential questions. In more recent books, he has also become an author of moving elegies, in which he converses with deceased parents and bids farewell to fading friends. He is a defender of ardor, but also of seriousness, which does not exclude humor, and the high style, which ought not to be confused with pathos; in this respect he resembles Czesław Miłosz, whom he admires and whom he befriended. The American poet C.K. Williams has noted Zagajewski's “astonishing talent for metaphors,” while Caribbean Nobel-Prize winner Derek Walcott has praised the “secular holiness” and “purpose of the missal” in his poetry books. They are always more than the sum of their parts; their inner structure, the recurring themes, and the relationships between them are just as crucial. But the universality of Zagajewski's poetry was confirmed during an extreme situation – when The New Yorker reprinted his poem “Try to Praise the Mutilated World” after the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The magazine's editors believed that, although the poem was written before the tragedy, it unquestionably hit the mark.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Poetry:

• Komunikat, Kraków: WL, 1972.
• Sklepy mięsne, Kraków: WL, 1975.
• List. Oda do wielości, Paryż: Instytut Literacki, 1983.
• Jechać do Lwowa, Londyn: Aneks, 1985.
• Płótno, Paryż: Zeszyty Literackie, 1990.
• Ziemia ognista, Poznań: a5, 1994.
• Trzej aniołowie, Three Angels, Kraków: WL, 1998.
• Pragnienie, Kraków: a5, 1999.
• Powrót, Kraków: a5, 2003.
• Anteny, Kraków: a5, 2005.
• Niewidzialna ręka, Kraków: Znak, 2009
• Wiersze wybrane, Kraków: a5, 2010.
• Asymetria, Kraków: a5, 2014
• Lotnisko w Amsterdamie/Airport in Amsterdam (bilingual edition of selected poems), Kraków: a5, 2016

Novels and Prose:

• Ciepło, zimno, Warszawa: PIW, 1975.
• Słuch absolutny, Kraków: 1979; b.m.w.: 1983.
• Cienka kreska, Kraków: Znak, 1983.

Essays:

• Świat nieprzedstawiony (wraz z J. Kornhauserem), Kraków: WL, 1974.
• Drugi oddech, Kraków: Znak, 1978.
• Solidarność i samotność, Zeszyty literackie, 1986.
• Dwa miasta, Paryż-Kraków, 1991.
• W cudzym pięknie, Poznań: a5, 1998.
• Obrona żarliwości, Kraków: a5, 2002.
• Poeta rozmawia z filozofem, Zeszyty literackie, 2007.
• Lekka przesada, Kraków: a5, 2011

TRANSLATIONS

Albanian:

• Te shkosh ne Lvov [selected poems], transl. Mazllum Saneja, Prishtine: Sheshi, 2002.
• Qyteti ku dua të jetoj [selected poems], transl. Bardhyl Londo, Tirana: Aleph, 2012.

Bulgarian:

• Iz żiwota na predmetite, transl. Sylwia Borisowa, Sofia: Literaturen Forum, 1997.
• Niewidima ruka [selected poems], transl. Sylwia Borisowa, Sofia: Izdatielstwo za poezja DA, 2015.

Catalan:

• Terra del foc [Ziemia Ognista], transl. Xavier Farré, Barcelona: Quaderns Crema, 2004​​​​​​​.

Chinese :

• Yadang Zhajiayefusiji shige jingxuan: di jiu jie Shige yu ren - guoji shige jiang = The selected poems of Adam Zagajewski [selected poems], transl. Wu Lan, Guangzhou: Shige yu ren, 2014.
• Yadang Zhajiayefusiji shige jingxuan: di jiu jie "Shige yu ren - guoji shige jiang" yingwen yiben = A Selection of Adam Zagajewski's Poems [selected poems], Guangzhou: Shige yu ren, 2014.
• Wu zhi jing: Tuojiayefusiji shi xuan = Without end new and selected poems [selected poems], transl. Yiliang Li, Guangzhou: Hua cheng chu ban she, 2015.
• Han wei re qing = A defense of ardor [Obrona żarliwości], Guang zhou: Hua cheng chu ban she, 2015.
• Ling yi zhong mei = Another beauty [W cudzym pięknie], Guang zhou: Hua cheng chu ban she, 2017.
• Dwa miasta, Guang zhou: Hua cheng chu ban she, 2018.​​​​​​​

Croatian:

• Povratak [Powrót], transl. Marina Trumíc, Sarajevo; Zagreb: Zoro, 2006.
• Nevidljiva ruka [Niewidzialna ręka]. transl. Durdica Čilić-Škeljo, Zagreb: Meandermedia, 2013.​​​​​​​

Czech:

• Vítr ve větvích [selected poems], transl. Daniela Lehárová, Praha: BB/art, 2004.
• Neviditelné věci [Powrót, Anteny, Niewidzialna ręka, Asymetria], transl. Michael Alexa, Ostrava: Protimluv, 2016.​​​​​​​

Dutch:

• Wat zingt, is wat zwijgt: gedichten [selected poems], transl. Gerard Rasch, Tilburg: Nexus Inst., 1998.
• Mystiek voor beginners: gedichten [selected poems], transl. Gerard Rasch, Amsterdam: Meulenhoff, 2003.
• Tracht de verwonde wereld te bezingen [selected poems], transl. René Smeets, Kris Van Heuckelom, Leuven: P, 2013.​​​​​​​

English:

• Tremor: selected poems [selected poems], transl. Renata Gorczyńska, New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1985; London: Collins Harvill, 1987.
• Solidarity, solitude: essays [Solidarność i samotność], transl. Lillian Vallee, New York: The Ecco Press, 1990.
• Canvas [Selected poems from: Oda do wielości; Jechać do Lwowa; Płótno], transl. Renata Gorczyńska, Benjamin Ivry, C.K. Williams, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1991.
• Two cities: on exile, history, and the imagination [Dwa miasta], transl. Lillian Vallee, New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1995.
• Mysticism for beginners [selected poems], transl. Clare Cavanagh, London: Faber and Faber, 1998.
• Three angels=Trzej aniołowie, transl. Clare Cavanagh [et al.], Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1998.
• Another Beaty [W cudzym pięknie], transl. Clare Cavanagh, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2000.
• Without end: new and selected poems [selected poems z tomu Płótno], transl. Clare Cavanagh, Renata Gorczyńska, Benjamin Ivry, C. K. Williams, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002.
• A defence of ardor [Obrona żarliwości], transl. Clare Cavanagh, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004.
• Selected poems [selected poems], transl. Clare Cavanagh, London: Faber and Faber, 2004.
• Eternal Enemies [selected poems], transl. Clare Cavanagh, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008.
• Unseen hand [Niewidzialna ręka], transl. Clare Cavanagh, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012.
• Slight exaggeration [Lekka przesada], transl. Clare Cavanagh, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017.
• Lotnisko w Amsterdamie = Airport in Amsterdam [selected poems], transl. Clare Cavanagh, Kraków: Wydawnictwo a5, 2016
• Asymmetry [Asymetria], transl. Clare Cavanagh, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2018.​​​​​​​

Estonian:

• Valitud luuletused [selected poems], transl. Henryk Lindepuu, Tartu: Hendrik Lindepuu, 2010.​​​​​​​

French:

• Solidarité, Solitude [Solidarność i samotność], transl. Laurence Dyèvre, Paris: Fayard, 1986.
• Coup de crayon [Cienka kreska], transl. Laurence Dyèvre, Paris: Fayard, 1987.
• Palissade, Marronniers. Liserons. Dieu [selected poems from: List, Oda do wielości, Jechać do Lwowa i inne wiersze], transl. Maya Wodecka, Paris: Fayard, 1989.
• La Trahison [Dwa miasta], transl. Laurence Dyèvre, Paris: Fayard, 1993.
• Mystique pour débutants, autres poèmes [Ziemia Ognista; Późne święta], transl. Maya Wodecka, Michel Chandeigne, Paris: Fayard, 1999.
• Dans une autre beauté [W cudzym pięknie], transl. Laurence Dyèvre, Paris: Fayard, 2000.
• Eloge de la ferveur [Obrona żarliwości], transl. Laurence Dyèvre, Paris: Fayard, 2008.​​​​​​​

German:

• Das absolute Gehör [Słuch absolutny], transl. Christa Vogel, Zürich: Unionsverlag, 1982.
• Stündlich Nachrichten: Gedichte aus zehn Jahren [selected poems], transl. Karl Dedecius, Berlin: Oberbaum, 1984.
• Der dünne Strich [Cienka kreska], transl. Olaf Kühl, München: Hanser, 1985.
• Solidarität und Einsamkeit [Solidarność i samotność], transl. Olaf Kühl, München: Hanser, 1986.
• Gedichte, transl. Karl Dedecius, München: Hanser, 1989.
• Lachen und Zerstörung [selected poems and prose], transl. Henryk Bereska, Karl Dedecius, Hamburg : Rospo, Verlag für Lyrik und Kunst, 1996.
• Mystik für Anfänger [Selected poems], transl. Karl Dedecius, München; Wien: C. Hanser, 1997.
• Ich schwebe über Krakau [W cudzym pięknie], transl. Henryk Bereska, München: Hanser, 2000.
• Die Wiesen von Burgung [selected poems], transl. Karl Dedecius, München; Wien: Hanser, 2003.
• In fremden Städten. W obcych miastach, transl. Karl Dedecius, Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2007.
• Verteidigung der Leidenschaft [Obrona żarliwości], transl. Henryk Bereska, Bernhard Hartmann, Olaf Kühl, München: Hanser, 2008.
• Unsichtbare Hand [Powrót, Anteny, Niewidzialna ręka], transl. Renate Schmidgall, München: Hanser, 2012.
• Die kleine Ewigkeit der Kunst [Lekka przesada], transl. Bernhard Hartmann, Renate Schmidgall, München: Hanser, 2014.
• Asymmetrie [Asymetria], transl. Renate Schmidgall, München: Hanser, 2017.​​​​​​​

Greek:

• Mathī́mata piánou [selected poems], transl. Vasílīs Maragkós, Athī́na: Koinōnía tōn dekátōn, 2017.​​​​​​​

Hebrew:

• Mîst.îqā(h) le-mathîlîm [Mistyka dla początkujacych], transl. David Weinfeld, Tel Aviv: Ḳeshev le-shirah ule-masah, 1999.
• Asiymeṭryah: mibḥar šiyriym 1972-2016, transl. David Weinfeld, Raʿananah: Even Hoshen, 2017.​​​​​​​

Hindi:

• Parāyī sundartā mẽ = W cudzym pięknie, transl. Maria Skakuj-Puri, Monika Browarczyk, Nayī Dillī: Sāhitya Akādemī, 2011.​​​​​​​

Hungarian:

• Bármi is történt [selected poems], Budapest: Orpheusz, 2004.
• A veled hallgatott zene [selected poems], transl. Zsille Gábor, Budapest: Magyar P.E.N. Club: Pluralica Alapítvány, 2016.

Italian:

• Tradimento [Dwa miasta], transl. Valentina Parisi, Milano: Adelphi, 2007.
• La ragazzina di Vermeer: e altri versi [Selected poems], transl. Paola Malavasi, Spinea: Edizioni del Leone, 2010.
• Dalla vita degli oggetti [Selected poems], transl. Krystyna Jaworska, Milano: Adelphi, 2012.
• L'ordinario e il sublime. Due saggi sulla cultura contemporanea [Obrona żarliwości. Uwagi o wysokim stylu], transl. Alessandro Amenta, Bellinzona: Casagrande, 2012.
• Il "fuoco eracliteo" nel giardino d'inverno [selected poems from Asymetria], transl. Marco Bruno, Rimini: Raffaelli Editore, 2017
• Prova a cantare il mondo storpiato [Selected poems], transl. Valentina Parisi, Novara: Interlinea, 2019.​​​​​​​

Korean

• T'ainmani urirŭl kuwŏnhanda, Sŏul T'ŭkpyŏlsi: Munhak ŭi Sup, 2012.​​​​​​​

Latvian:

• Svešā skaistumā [Trzej aniołowie, Pragnienie, Ateny], transl. Ingmāra Balode, Riga: Satori, 2009.​​​​​​​

Lithuanian:

• Solidarumas ir vienatvė [Solidarność i samotność], transl. Laura Liubinavičiūtė, Dainius Morkūnas, Vilnius: Pasvir̨es Pasaulis, 2009.
• Orfėjo kriauklė [selected poems], transl. Eugenijus Ališanka, Vilnius: Kronta, 2011.
• Du miestai [Dwa miasta], transl. Kazys Uscila, Vilnius: Vaga, 2013.​​​​​​​

Norwegian:

• Utsikt over Kraków [selected poems], transl. Knut Johansen, Oslo: Gyldendal, 1987.​​​​​​​

Romanian:

• În căutarea luminii [selected poems], transl. Constantin Geambaşu, Marina Ilie, Bucureşti: Eikon, 2018.

Serbian:

• Putovati u Lavov [Jechać do Lwowa], transl. Petar Vujičić, Beograd: Narodna Kniga, 1988.
• Mali Larus [Dwa miasta], transl. Biserka Rajčić, Beograd: Stubovi Kulture, 2000.
• Platno: izabrane pesme [Płótno; Ziemia Ognista; Pragnienie], transl. Biserka Rajčić, Beograd: Stubovi Kulture, 2003.
• Antene [Anteny], transl. Biserka Rajčíc, Beograd: Arhipelag, 2007.
• Nevidljiva ruka [Niewidzialna ręka], transl. Biserka Rajčić, Belgrad: Arhipelag, 2012.
• Odbrana vatrenosti [Obrona żarliwości], transl. Biserka Rajcic, Belgrad: Arhipelag, 2013.
• Vita contemplativa [selected poems], transl. Petar Vujičić, Biserka Rajčić, Vršac: Kniževna opština Vršac, 2014.​​​​​​​

Slovak:

• Divé čerešne [Dzikie czereśnie], transl. Karol Chmiel, Bratislava: F. R. and G., 1994.
• Nový malý Larousse [Dwa miasta, Obrona żarliwości, Solidarność i samotność], transl. Karol Chmel, Bratislava: Drewo a srd, 2003.​​​​​​​

Slovenian:

• Mistika za začetnike: [izbrane pesmi], transl. Niko Jež. Ljubljana: Cankarjeva Založba: Društvo Sloven. Pisateljev, 1997.
• Iskanje sijaja [selected poems], transl. Niko Jež, Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, 2012.​​​​​​​

Spanish:

• En la belleza ajena [W cudzym pięknie], transl. Ángel Enrique Díaz-Pintado Hilario, Valencia: Pre-Textos, 2003.
• Tierra del fuego [Ziemia Ognista], transl. Xavier Farré, Barcelona: Acantilado, 2004.
• En defensa del fervor [Obrona żarliwości], transl. Anna Rubió, Jerzy Sławomirski, Barcelona: Acantilado, 2005.
• Deseo [Pragnienie], transl. Xavier Farré, Barcelona: Acantilado, 2005.
• Poemas escogidos [selected poems], transl. Elżbieta Bortkiewicz, Valencia: Pre-Textos, 2005.
• Dos ciudades [Dwa Miasta], transl. Anna Rubió, Jerzy Sławomirski, Barcelona: Acantilado, 2006.
• Antenas [Anteny], transl. Xavier Farré, Barcelona: Acantilado, 2007.
• Solidaridad y soledad [Solidarność i samotność], transl. Anna Rubió, Jerzy Sławomirski, Barcelona: Acantilado 2010.
• 26 poemas [selected poems], Madrid: Residencia de Estudiantes, 2010.
• Mano invisible [Niewidzialna ręka], transl. Xavier Farré, Barcelona: Acantilado, 2012.
• Asimetría [Asymetria], transl. Xavier Farré, Barcelona: Acantilado, 2017.
• Una leve exageración [Lekka przesada], transl. Anna Rubió, Jerzy Sławomirski, Barcelona: Acantilado, 2019.​​​​​​​

Swedish:

• Ode till mångfalden: och andra dikter [List, Oda do wielości], transl. Anders Bodegård, Lars Kleberg, Höganäs: Bra Lyrik, 1987.
• Solidaritet och ensamhet [Solidarność i samotność], transl. Anders Bodegård, Martin von Zweigbergk, Stockholm: Norstedts, 1988.
• Två städer [Dwa miasta], transl. Anders Bodegård, Stockholm: Norstedts, 1991.
• Elektrisk elegi: och andra dikter [selected poems], transl. Anders Bodegård, Stockholm: Norstedts, 1993.
• Törst [Selected poems], transl. Anders Bodegård, Stockholm: Norstedts, 2003.
• Antenner i regn [Powrót, Anteny, Niewidzialna ręka], transl. Anders Bodegård, Stockholm: Norstedts, 2011.
• I andras skönhet [W cudzym pięknie], transl. Anders Bodegård, Stockholm: Norstedts, 2015.​​​​​​​

Ukrainian:

• U čužìj krasì [W cudzym pięknie], transl. Wiktor Dmitruk, Lviv: Kalvaria, 2008.
• 120 vìršìv [Selected poems], transl. Vìktor Dmitruk, Lviv: Kalvaria, 2011.