Dorota Masłowska (b. 1983) is one of the most original authors of modern Polish fiction, whose books have revolutionized the literary Polish language. Her books have won many awards, are widely translated, and have often been adapted for stage and screen.  

In 2002 Dorota Masłowska shook the Polish literary world. Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwona (Snow White, Russian Red), the best seller she wrote while preparing for her final high-school exams, is a cold look at the life of some disoriented young people from a high-rise block who live from one party to the next, in a world ruled by drugs, sex and a nonsensical attitude to life.  The young author’s debut novel prompted an overnight literary scandal and became the cult book of a generation. It takes the form of a monologue by the main character, Nails.  He and the other characters, including Magda, Angela, Arleta, Natasha, Kacper and Lefty, teenagers from a small Polish town in the era of dog-eat-dog capitalism, are doomed in advance to life on the dole. Their morality, ideas and beliefs about the world, which are a patchwork of trendy platitudes taken from television and colour magazines, but also include radical slogans found on internet blogs, are as comical as they are alarming. Their speech is a tacky version of the Polish language, but at the same time it has the energy of a carnival of the lumpen nihilists.  

Her long-awaited second novel, Paw królowej (“The Queen’s Peacock”), settles a few scores. In it she refers to some personal (and rather unpleasant) experiences. An amiable teenager from the provinces at the time of her debut, Masłowska had found out for herself what it’s like to be caught up in the cogs of the media machine and to fall into the clutches of the sort of charlatans who treat literature like just another branch of show-business, and a young writer like a passive puppet. So no wonder she made the central character in her new work a fading pop star, a dimwitted boor who is the object of media manipulation. The secondary characters are equally awkward and unintelligent. But what Masłowska has to say in this novel is nothing to the way in which she says it. Just as before, the strength and value of the book are determined by a dazzling style and, more broadly, the panache of her linguistic invention. Paw królowej is written with the rhythm and rhymes of a hip-hop song. This is a very special form – vulgar, primitive and plebeian, serving to capture and shout out the simplest truths. Masłowska exploited, or rather radicalized this deformed speech full of linguistic degeneration and grammatical errors, making it equivalent to reality, a monstrous, crooked mirror in which to look at the world of 2005. This novel won Masłowska the 2006 Nike Literary Award, Poland’s most prestigious book prize.

In the same year her first play was staged, Dwoje biednych Rumunów mówiących po polsku (A Couple of Poor, Polish-Speaking Romanians), followed by Miedzy nami dobrze jest (No Matter How Hard We Tried, 2008) and Bowie w Warszawie (Bowie in Warsaw, 2022). Her stage plays are further proof of her lingusitic brilliance, but they are also characterized by a phenomenal sense of form.

Masłowska has also written newpaper columns published in a series of collections titled Jak przejąć kontrolę nad światem, nie wychodząc z domu (“How to Take Control of the World Without Leaving Home”, 2017), Jak przejąć kontrolę nad światem, nie wychodząc z domu 2 (“How to Take Control of the World Without Leaving Home 2”, 2020), and Mam tak samo jak ty (“I’ve Got the Same as You”, 2023), all featuring extremely cutting irony and ideas about the fringes of everyday life and culture that were well received by the readers and critics alike.

In 2024 her long awaited return to fiction appeared, Magiczna rana (“The Magic Wound”). This is a novel that captures certain aspects of modern life in a grotesque but at the same time deadly serious way. Some bizarre, but seemingly familiar characters pass through its pages: women whose lives are in a mess and men who go to the gym, stylized members of the bourgeoisie and teenage girls who know their rights. We see them in all sorts of settings – exclusive flats, a vegan wedding, an artisan bakery and a hotel earmarked for demolition. These characters are driven by various fantastical ideas, some more or less exalted aspirations and desires that can’t possibly be satisfied. In her inimitable, unique way Masłowska makes use of pop-culture formulae and linguistic cliches to create their artificially generated world. In spring 2025 a stage adaptation of the novel will appear, rights to the German translation have already been sold, and an extract from the novel is due to appear in English in the Penguin Book of Polish Short Stories (June 2025).

Dorota Masłowska is one of the most interesting voices in contemporary Polish fiction and a fascinating commentator on modern life, often in its least obvious guises.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną (Snow White, Russian Red), Warsaw: Lampa i Iskra boża, 2002
• Paw królowej (“The Queen’s Peacock”), Warsaw: Lampa i Iskra boża, 2005
• Dwoje biednych Rumunów mówiących po polsku (A Couple of Poor, Polish-Speaking Romanians), Warsaw: Lampa i Iskra boża, 2006
• Między nami dobrze jest (No Matter How Hard We Tried ), Warsaw: Lampa i Iskra boża, 2008
• Kochanie, zabiłam nasze koty (Honey, I Killed the Cats), Warsaw: Noir sur Blanc, 2012
• Jak zostałam wiedźmą (“How I Became a Witch”), Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2014
• Więcej niż możesz zjeść. Felietony parakulinarne (“More Than You Can Eat: ‘Paraculinary’ Columns”), Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2015
• Jak przejąć kontrolę nad światem, nie wychodząc z domu (“How to Take Control of the World Without Leaving Home”) – collected columns, Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2017
• Inni ludzie (“Other People”), Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2018
• Jak przejąć kontrolę nad światem 2 (“How to Take Control of the World Without Leaving Home 2”), Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2020
• Bowie w Warszawie (Bowie in Warsaw), Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2022
• Mam tak samo jak ty (“I’ve Got the Same as You”), Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2023
• Magiczna rana (“The Magic Wound”), Kraków: Karakter, 2024

TRANSLATIONS

Bulgarian:

• Vsichko ni e nared (Między nami dobrze jest), trans. Pravda Spasova in: Naslednitsi: antologia nova polska dramaturgia, Sofia: Black Flamingo Publishing, 2015
• Dvama neshastni Rum’ntsi, koyto govorat polski (Dwoje biednych Rumunów mówiących po polsku), trans. Ina Mikhailova, in: S’vremenna polska drama, Sofia: Valentin Trayanov, 2008

Chinese:

• Women zhi jian ting hao in Bolan xin ju xuan. ed., A. Duda., trans. X. Liang. Beijing 2022

Croat:

• Poljskom šakom u rusku bulju (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Emilio Nuić, Zagreb: Hena com, 2015

Czech:

• Červená a bílá (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Barbara Gregorová, Prague: Odeon, 2004
• Kralovnina savle (Paw królowej), trans. Barbara Gregorová, Prague: Fra, 2008
• Dva ubohý Rumuni, co uměj polsky (Dwoje biednych Rumunów mówiących po polsku), trans. Barbora Gregorová, Prague : Agite/Fra, 2010
• Zabila jsem naše kočky, drahá (Kochanie, zabiłam nasze koty), trans. Barbora Gregorová, Prague: Odeon - Euromedia Group, 2014
• Mezi náma dobrý (Między nami dobrze jest), trans. Barbora Gregorová, w: Čtyři polské hry, Prague: Na Konári, 2010

Dutch:

• Sneeuwwit en Russisch rood (Wojna polska-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Karol Lesman, Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij, 2004

English:

• Snow White and Russian Red (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Benjamin Paloff, New York: Black Cat, 2005
• White and Red (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Benjamin Paloff, London: Atlantic Books - Grove Atlantic, 2005
• A Couple of Poor Polish-Speaking Romanians (Dwoje biednych Rumunów mówiących po polsku), trans. Paul Sirett, Lisa Goldman, London: Oberon, 2009
• A Couple of Poor Polish-Speaking Romanians [Dwoje biednych Rumunów mówiących po polsku] trans. Benjamin Paloff, in: Loose Screws: Nine New Plays from Poland, London; New York; Kolkata: Seagull Books, 2015
• No Matter How Hard We Tried (Między nami dobrze jest), trans. Benjamin Paloff, in: (A)pollonia: Twenty-First Century Polish Drama and Texts for the Stage, London: Seagull Books, 2014
• Honey, I Killed the Cats (Kochanie, zabiłam nasze koty), trans. Benjamin Paloff, Dallas: Deep Vellum Publishing, 2019

French:

• Polococktail party (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Zofia Bobowicz, Montricher: Noir sur Blanc, 2004; Paris: Points, 2006
• Tchatche ou crève (Paw królowej), trans. Isabelle Jannès-Kalinowski, Noir sur Blanc, 2008
• Deux pauvres Roumains parlant polonais (Dwoje biednych Rumunów mówiących po polsku), trans. Kinga Joucaviel, Toulouse: Presses universitaires du Mirail, 2008
• Vive le feu (Między nami dobrze jest), trans. Isabelle Jannès-Kalinowski, Noir sur Blanc, 2011
• Chéri, j’ai tué les chats (Kochanie, zabiłam nasze koty), trans. Isabelle Jannès-Kalinowski, Noir sur Blanc, 2013

German:

• Schneeweiss und Russenrot (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Olaf Kühl, Cologne: Kiepenheur und Witsch, 2004
• Die Reiherkönigin. Ein Rap poem (Paw królowej), trans. Olaf Kühl, Cologne: Kiepenheuer & Witsch 2007
• Liebling, ich habe die Katzen getötet (Kochanie, zabiłam nasze koty), trans. Olaf Kühl, Cologne: Kiepenheuer & Witsch 2015
• Andere Leute (Inni ludzie), trans. Olaf Kühl, Berlin: Rowohlt Berlin, 2019

Hungarian:

• Lengyel-ruszki háború a fehér-piros lobogó alatt (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Gáspár Keresztes, Budapest: Európa K., 2003
• Megvagyunk egymással (Między nami dobrze jest), trans. P. Pászt, in: Fiatal lengyel drama, Budapest: Kalligram, 2010

Italian:

• Prendi tutto (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Corrado Borsani Ucci, Milan: Frassinelli, 2004

Latvian:

• Starp mums viss labi (Między nami dobrze jest), trans. Zane Stala, Riga: Mansards, 2016
• Pǫlu-krievu karš zem sarkanbaltā karoga (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Ingmara Balode, Riga: Dienas Grāmata, 2007

Lithuanian:

• Lenkų ir rusų karas po baltai raudona vėliava (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Vytas Deksnys, Kaunas: Kitos knygos, 2007

Macedonian:

• Belo-crven svet: polsko-ruskata vojna pod belo-crveno zname (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Slobodan Krstevski, Skopje: Tri, 2014

Portuguese:

• Branco neve, vermelho Rússia (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Marcelo Paiva de Souza, Rio de Janeiro: Record, 2007

Romanian:

• Albă ca Zăpada şi roşu bolşevic (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Constantin Geambaşu, Bucharest: Editura Trei, 2008
• Ceilalti. (Inni ludzie), trans. I. Diaconu-Mureșan: Baia Mare 2023

Russian:

• Polsko-russkaya voyna pod belo-krasnym flagom (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Irina Lappo, Moscow: Inostranka, 2005
• U nas vse horosho (Między nami dobrze jest), in: Antologia sovremennoy pol'skoy dramaturgii 2, Moscow: Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie, 2015
• Dvoe bednykh Rumyn, govoryashchikh po-pol'ski (Dwoje biednych Rumunów mówiących po polsku), trans. Irina Lappo, in: Antologia sovremennoy pol’skoy dramaturgii, Moscow, 2010

Serbian:

• Belo-crveno: polysko-ruski rat pod belo-crvenom zastavom (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Bojan Đord'ević, Agnieszka Łasek, Belgrade: LOM, 2006.
• Drugi lyudi (Inni ludzie), trans. J. Jović. Belgrade 2022

Slovak:

• Sneh a krv (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Tomáš Horváth, Bratislava: Ikar, 2004
• U nás je to fajn (Między nami dobrze jest), trans. Tomáš Horváth, in: Pol'ská drama, ed. J. Jaworska, Bratislava: Divadelný ústav, 2012

Slovenian:

• Poljsko-ruska vojna pod belo-rdečo zastavo (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Tatjana Jamnik Pocajt, Ljubljana: Modrijan, 2011
• Pri nas je vse v redu (Między nami dobrze jest), trans. Darja Dominkuš, Ljubljana: SNG Drama, 2012

Spanish:

• Blanco nieve, rojo Rusia (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Joanna Orzechowska, Barcelona: Mondadori, 2005
• Dos pobres rumanos que hablaban polaco; Entre nosotros todo va bien (Dwoje biednych Rumunów mówiących po polsku; Między nami dobrze jest), trans. Pau Freixa Terradas, Segovia: Ediciones La Uña Rota, 2020

Swedish:

• Polsk-ryskt krig under rödvit flagga (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Tomas Håkanson, Stockholm: Albert Bonniers Förlag, 2018
• Två fattiga rumäner som talar polska (Dwoje biednych Rumunów mówiących po polsku), trans. Jarema Bielawski, Göteborg: Folkteatern i Göteborg, 2010

Ukrainian:

• Polsko-rosiyska wiyna (Wojna polsko-ruska pod flagą biało-czerwoną), trans. Larysa Andriievska, Kharkiv: Folio, 2006
• Między nami dobrze jest, in: Spovid' pisla zlamu. Antologia suchasnoi pol'skoi dramaturgii, Kyiv 2013