This year’s Wisława Szymborska Award goes to the Swedish poet Linn Hansén and her translator Justyna Czechowska for the book Przejdź do historii (Go Down in History; orig.: Gå till historien), published by Wydawnictwo Lokator (Kraków), as well as to Polish poet Julia Fiedorczuk for her book Psalmy (Psalms) published by Fundacja na Rzecz Kultury i Edukacji im. T. Karpowicza (Wrocław). The international jury was headed by Spanish translator Abel Murcia Soriano. Julia Fiedorczuk will receive 100,000 PLN (€24,000/$27,000); Linn Hansén and Justyna Czechowska will each receive 50,000 PLN (€12,000/$14,000).
The Wisława Szymborska Award is given annually for a volume of poetry published in Polish in the previous year. Established in 2012, the award is Poland’s most highly endowed literary award. It comprises a statuette and 100,000 PLN for the author of a volume of poetry written originally in Polish, and 100,000 PLN divided between an author of a volume of poetry written in a foreign langage and its translator or translators.
The original-language volumes nominated for this year’s award were: Wojciech Bonowicz‘s Druga ręka (Second Hand) published by Wydawnictwo A5; Julia Fiedorczuk‘s Psalmy (Psalms) published by Fundacja na Rzecz Kultury i Edukacji im. T. Karpowicza; Natalia Malek‘s Kord (Cord) published by Wydawnictwo WBPiCAK; Marta Podgórnik‘s Zimna Książka (Cold Book), published by Biuro Literackie; and Ilona Witkowska‘s Lucyfer zwycięża (Lucifer Triumphant) published by Korporacja Ha!art.