The Polish Book Institute

The Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Ukraine Bartosz Cichocki inaugurated the Ukrainian edition of the “Polish Bookshelf” project during his visit to the Kherson Regional Universal Scientific Library.

As part of the project, 26 libraries will receive a total of over 1,200 books by Polish authors, both in Polish and in Ukrainian translation. The project involves creating access to Polish literature in Ukrainian public libraries. The project of the Book Institute financed by the Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sports is implemented by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Kiev with the support of the International Union of Polish Entrepreneurs in Ukraine and the Foundation Aid to Poles in the East.

The Book Institute's mission is, among other things, to promote Polish literature in the world. The "Polish Bookshelf" project is of particular importance in this work, for Polish books, through a network of libraries, have a chance to effectively reach foreign readers in their local communities. Additionally, in the case of Ukraine, it is important to us that native literature will also reach the Polish minority and people with Polish roots here, as well as those learning our language or otherwise seeking contact with Polish culture,' emphasised the Book Institute Director Dariusz Jaworski.

The organisers invited 26 libraries from different regions of Ukraine, primarily from the east and centre of the country, to participate in the project. In each facility, a separate, marked shelf with books by Polish authors will be created for free access, and where this is not possible for organisational reasons, a special section will be set up in a electronic catalogue.

Among the books selected for display and donated to the libraries was a selection of Polish classic and contemporary literature for adults and younger readers translated into Ukranian (for example Prus’s Lalka [“The Doll”], Schulz’s Sklepy cynamonowe [“The Street of Crocodiles”], Dołęga-Mostowicz’s Znachor [“The Quack”], Tokarczuk’s Księgi Jakubowe [“The Books of Jacob”], Dukaj’s Lód [“Ice”], Ryrych’s Łopianowe pole [“The Burdock Field”], and young adult series by Kosik and Stelmaszyk), as well as books in Polish promoted by the Book Institute in the current edition of the "New Books from Poland" catalogue (for instance Rak’s Baśń o wężowym sercu albo wtóre słowo o Jakóbie Szeli [“The Tale of the Serpent’s Heart”], Słowik’s Zimowla [“The Hibernation of Bees”], Sołtys’s Nieradość [“Nonjoy”], Chmielarz’s Wyrwa [“Breach”], and Nowak’s Klęska imperium zła. Rok 1920 [“The Defeat of the Evil Empire: A.D. 1920“]).

The "Polish Bookshelf" project, launched in 2017 in the UK, aims to reach out with Polish literature to readers - foreign and Polish - in different countries around the world through local public libraries, to promote knowledge about Poland, Polish culture and history, and to build a positive image of Poland. In 2019, "Polish bookshelves" appeared in libraries in Brooklyn, New York, and in Philadelphia. Ukraine is the third country where the Book Institute is implementing the project in cooperation with Polish diplomacy and local social and local government partners.