The Polish Book Institute

The 27^th International Book Fair began on Wednesday in Minsk. The Polish stand showcases over 600 titles, and its organiser, the Polish Institute in Minsk, has prepared presentations of books by Sergiusz Piasecki, Zbigniew Herbert, and Janusz Wisniewski for the guests of the fair.

"It is a jubilee season, and this year's fair is a good opportunity to present our achievements from recent years, i.e. books and translations that were created with the support of the institute,” said Cezary Karpinski, director of the Polish Institute in Minsk. This year, the institution celebrates its 25^th anniversary in Belarus.

As part of the fair, the Polish stand will invite guests to many meetings, including the presentation of the translation of Sergiusz Piasecki's Kochanek Wielkiej Niedźwiedzicy (“Lover of the Great Bear”), Janusz Wiśniewski's Koniec samotności ("The End of Loneliness"), as well as the selected works of Zbigniew Herbert.

As Karpiński mentioned, a rich offering has been prepared for Belarusian readers by the Polish Institute together with its partners: Ars Polona Publishing House, Belarusian Akademkniga, Januszkiewicz Publishing House, and with the support of the Book Institute.

"The new edition of Lover of the Great Bear is the culmination of a series of publications, which included the translation of the Minsk trilogy by this author into Belarusian,” said Karpiński. He emphasised that the Belarusian translation of Janusz Wisniewski, who is popular in the East, was made quicker than the Russian translation. "We are proud to offer this title to readers in Belarus," he pointed out.

He added that "a lot of work" was also done preparing translations of selected works by Zbigniew Herbert.

The programme of the Polish stand will include attractions for children, workshops, meetings with cartoonists and translators, as well as a presentation of the educational offering, including a Polish language textbook.

The 27^th edition of the most important Belarusian publishing event will last until 9 February.

 [source: Polish Press Agency (PAP), Justyna Prus]