Krzysztof Czyżewski

Cultural agitator, essayist, director, translator, head of the Pogranicze Centre and the Pogranicze Foundation in Sejny, which focuses on the promotion of multicultural regions of Central-Eastern Europe. He is a graduate of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań in Polish language studies (his masters thesis was on the subject of Czesław Miłosz’s works). Initially, he was strongly associated with the declamation movement and amateur theatre. From 1978 to 1983 he worked as an actor and instructor in the Gardzienice Theatre Association. He made a series of journeys around the world during that time. He has given lectures at the University of Vilnius, the New School University in New York, and the European College at the University of Lviv. He runs the Wydawnictwo Pogranicze publishing house, which has been in existence since 1993 (and is an integral part of the Pogranicze Foundation). He publishes the cultural magazine “Krasnogruda” and books in the fields of literature, opinion, history and anthropology. In 1999 he began publication of his series “Meridian”, presenting the work of eminent authors from Central-Eastern Europe. The series received the Literatura na Swiecie award (2001). Pogranicze published a talked-about book by Jan Tomasz Gross, “Sąsiedzi” (Neighbors), which generated a major public discussion in Poland and abroad. He was co-ordinator of many European projects involving multicultural regions, including Small Homelands in Central-Eastern Europe (Brussels 1993-1994) and Landscape X (Stockholm 1998). For his work to date, Czyżewski has received, among other awards, The POLCUL Foundation Award (Melbourne 1992), the Stanisław Wyspiański Youth Art Award (Warsaw 1992), the Parisian Culture Award for 1996, the Gabor Bethlen award for a person from Central Europe (Budapest 1998), the “Little Sceptre” Polish Culture Award, awarded by Jerzy Giedroyc in 1999, the Medal of St George awarded by Tygodnik Powszechny (2000), the International Aleksander Langer Award (2004) the Order of Giedymin (2001), and the Cavalier Cross of the Order of the Rebirth of Poland (2002).

At the Conrad Festival he will take part in a meeting dedicated to Paul Celan’s “Fugue of Death”.