28^th Leukerbad International Literary Festival

Authors

Joanna Bator

Poland

Born in Wałbrzych in 1968, Joanna Bator is a Polish writer and cultural anthropologist. She graduated from the University of Wrocław and did graduate work in cultural studies. Bator is known for her many-layered novels, in which she treats complex themes like identity, history, and societal change. Her works have been translated into many languages and have won multiple prizes (among them the Spycher Literary Prize Leuk) as well as international acclaim. Her works are influenced by Japanese culture. Bator is also active as a speaker and lecturer. Her novel Bitternis (Bitterness) describes lifestyles of women pre-dating the German-Polish history of her native Silesia. The narrative spans four generations and more than 800 pages. The NZZ praises the book as “a celebration of witty storytelling.”

Bitternis. Roman. Aus dem Polnischen von Lisa Palmes. Suhrkamp 2023
Dunkel, fast Nacht. Roman. Aus dem Polnischen von Lisa Palmes. Suhrkamp 2016
Sandberg. Roman. Aus dem Polnischen von Esther Kinsky. Suhrkamp 2011

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