2011 marks the centenary of Czesław Miłosz, one of Poland’s greatest writers and the winner of the 1980 Nobel Prize for Literature.
Milosz was born in Czarist Russia in 1911.  After the Second World War he worked for the post-war Polish Communist government before defecting to the USA in 1951. It was there that his poetry received worldwide acclaim, culminating in the 1980 Nobel Prize. He returned to Poland after the collapse of Communism, and died in Krakow in 2004, where he is buried.
His poems can be found in New and Collected Poems, 1931-2001. There is also small selection online.
To mark the centenary Zilony Balonik, the Polish Scottish book group, and poet Ken Cockburn will be getting together to look at his work in more detail. Join us at Mcdonald Road Library where we’ll meet to discuss a selection of Milosz Poems, then look at a couple in more detail. These will be In Warsaw (W Warszawie) and City of My Youth (Miasto Młodośći).  If you’d like a copy of these in advance, please e-mail info@kencockburn.co.uk. If you have a favourite Miłosz poem, please bring it with you, or a note of its title, and we’ll source it for you.
The event takes place at McDonald Road Library on Saturday 10th September 2011 from 2pm to 4.30pm
Everyone’s welcome – no previous knowledge needed. The event is free but please ring 0131 529 5636 or  e-mail mcdonaldroad.library@edinburgh.gov.uk to reserve your place.
Zielony Balonik is a book club which meets in Edinburgh and Glasgow to discuss books from Poland.  The meetings are held in English, and we read books available in English translation, though some of our members are Polish speakers.  For more information contact please email krystyna.szumelukowa@yahoo.com.
Ken Cockburn was formerly Assistant Director & Fieldworker at the Scottish Poetry Library, and now works freelance as a poet, translator, editor and writing tutor.  He is currently running sessions on Czesław Miłosz in Scottish secondary schools.