Plaque unveiled honoring Nobel prize winning poet Szymborska
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
29.01.2014 09:02
A commemorative plaque has been unveiled on the fence of the Writers’ Retreat in the Tatra resort of Zakopane where the poet Wisława Szymborska learned about her Nobel Prize in Literature.
Director of the Szymborska Foundation Michał Rusinek (second right) unveils plaque to the poet in the winter ski resort of Zakopane, southern Poland: photo - PAP/Grzegorz Momot
"In this house, on 3 October 1996, Wisław Szymborska was taken by surprise with the news of the Nobel Prize," the plaque says.
On that day, the Nobel prize winning poet, who died in 2012, was working on a poem in her room when she was called to answer a phone from the Swedish Academy.
Her instant reaction was "what a catastrophe" and one of her friends, the poet Bronisław Maj, described the decision of the Swedish Academy as "the Stockholm tragedy" referring to Szymborska’s modesty and reluctance to get involved in the machinery of publicity and small talk.
During the ceremony in Zakopane, Szymborska’s long-time secretary, Michal Rusinek said it is a good thing that "this very symbolic place", which the poet visited on many occasions , is now marked on the map of Zakopane.
The unveiling ceremony was followed by a poetry soiree attended by leading Polish poets, including Adam Zagajewski, Ewa Lipska,and Ryszard Krynicki.
1 February marks the second anniversary of Szymborska’s death. Several events commemorating her literary achievements have been planned by the Krakow-based Szymborska Foundation in cooperation with various cultural institutions. (mk)