Fun Facts Friday: Wisława Szymborska

Wisława Szymborska (2, July 1923 – 1, February 2012) was a Nobel Prize winning poet, translator, and essayist from Poland.

Books by Wisława Szymborska*

Fun Facts about Wisława Szymborska:

1. Maria Wisława Anna Szymborska born in Prowent, Poland. Her family moved to Kraków in 1931, which was her home until her death.
2. During World War II, Ms. Szymborskam continued to study in underground classes. Since she worked as a railroad employee, she avoided deportation to Germany doing forced labor.
3. She began her career in the arts doing illustrations for English textbooks during the war.
4. Attending Jagiellonian University in Kraków (1945), Ms. Szymborskam studied Polish Literature and sociology.
5. In 1945 the newspaper Dziennik Polski, published Ms. Szymborskam first poem, “Szukam słowa” (“Looking for words”).
6. Unfortunately, she dropped out of the University in 1948 due to financial hardships. In 1949, her first book was rejected by the censors of the time.
7. In 1953, Ms. Szymborskam signed a political petition condemning a show trial in accusing Polish priests of treason.
8. Winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1996, the Academy noted that “poetry that with ironic precision allows the historical and biological context to come to light in fragments of human reality.”
9. Before her death, she was an editor for literary magazines, wrote a book review column, and published essays.
10. At the age of 88, Ms. Szymborskam passed away from cancer surrounded by friends and relatives. In 2012 her last poetry was published, and the Wisława Szymborska Award was established in 2013 to honor of her legacy.

Books by Wisława Szymborska*

Zohar — Man of la Book
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account