Guest of Honour Country – Poland

The Republic of Poland is the “Guest of Honour” country for the 16th edition of the New Delhi World Book Fair 2014. HE Prof Piotr Klodkowski, ambassador of the Republic of Poland to India, as well as representatives from Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Poland’s Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Grzegorz Gauden, director of the Polish Book Institute, and Anna Tryc-Bromley, director of the Polish Institute will be opening the Polish pavilion at the Book Fair together with India’s National Book Trust.

With the aim of creating understanding between cultures through the exchange of literature, Poland is bringing authors from a diversity of literary genres; Joanna Bator (novelist/journalist/academic), Jacek Dehnel (fiction/poet/translator), Wojciech Jagielski (journalist/war correspondent), Michal Rusinek (academic/translator/children’s literature) and Olga Tokarczuk (best-seller fiction) are some of the writers who will be attending the Fair.

The highlights will include the launch of the first Hindi translation of Michal Rusinek’s children’s book, Little Chopin, produced by India’s National Book Trust. New Hindi translations of Ryszard Kapuscinski’s Shah of Shahs, Olga Tokarczuk’s Wardrobe, and Andrzej Stasiuk’s Tales of Galicia, published by Rajkamal Prakashan will also be introduced at the Book Fair. Workshops will be presented throughout the week, including works by the acclaimed illustrator, Malgorzata Gurowska.

A particular highlight of this year’s Book Fair is the exhibition, Ryszard Kapuscinski: Poet of Reportage, showcasing the works of the world-renowned Polish reporter (1932 – 2007). A writer, poet, photographer, ‘thinker’ and translator of cultures, Ryszard Kapuscinski’s works have been recognized by over fifty national and international awards. A mentor for many journalists, Kapuscinski elevated reportage to the status of art through his descriptions of world events during the second half of the twentieth century.

At present, Kapuscinski’s books have been translated into thirtyseven languages, including Urdu and Hindi. The Poet of Reportage exhibition has been produced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, the Polish Institute in India and the Polish Book Institute.

In addition to Ryszard Kapuscinski: Poet of Reportage, there will also be an exhibition of illustrations from children’s books from Poland.