Tompkins County Public Library

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Library to Host Poetry Event

ITHACA—The Tompkins County Public Library, the Ithaca City of Asylum and the Cornell Institute for European Studies will host “Memories of Milosz,” a poetry reading and discussion of the work of Nobel Prize-winning poet Czeslaw Milosz, Sunday, April 1 at 2:00 PM in the Library’s BorgWarner Community Room.

The program will be facilitated by Poland native Pawel Bakowski and will include readings by members of the local Polish and poetry communities.

Bakowski hosted literary salons in his home and was a member of NoWa, an underground publishing house based in Warsaw during the Communist regime. He is currently employed by the Cornell Institute for European Studies through their Getting to Know the New Europe community outreach grant, funded by the European Union.

Milosz’s work was banned in Poland until 1980 when he was awarded the Nobel Prize. At that time, Bakowski and his NoWa friends began printing and distributing his work. NoWa members faced political persecution for their actions but kept Milosz's work available throughout the country.

An exhibit featuring photos from Milosz’s return to Poland and books published by the NoWa will be on display at the Library through April 15.

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