Contemporary Polish literature of Lithuania. Generational profile.

Today, contemporary Polish literature of Lithuania is becoming increasingly observable phenomena. Currently, there are more than 40 authors who are preoccupied with Polish literary work in Lithuania.

At the turn of the 20^th and 21^st century, “nestors” of contemporary Polish poetry of Lithuania passed away: Jadwiga Bębnowska (1916-1994) and Michał Wołosewicz (1925-2004). The oldest literary generation is now mainly embodied in a person of Aleksander Sokołowski (1935), chairman of the Section of Polish Penmen by the Association of Lithuanian Writers.

Conventionally named “generation 1940” is quite numerous. It is represented by names such as: Wojciech Piotrowicz (1940), Mirosława Wojszwiłło (1941), Władysława Orszewska-Kursevičiene (1942), Maria Łotocka (1944), Aleksander Śnieżko (1945), Alicja Małaszkina-Morka (1948). Also, to this generation belonged also Sławomir Worotyński (1942 – 1983), strikingly promising, prematurely dead poet, and Jerzy Surwiłło (1941-2009), journalist, publicist.

Less numerous, but quite interesting and still promising is „generation 1950” whose representatives include: Romuald Mieczkowski (1950), Henryk Mażul (1953) and Józef Szostakowski (1953). In this case, it would be easier to talk about some common generational experience and concurrent particularities of poetry. All of them have similar experience in the shape of a relocation from village to city. Therefore, they lost their “small motherlands”. They all studied Polish studies in the Vilnius Public Pedagogical Institute (today: Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences). Also, they are all professionally engaged in the literary work: poetry, journalistic or scientific.

As for the direct successors, poets who were born in the 60s’, then, it would be recommendable to mention living in Germany Alicja Rybałko (1960), Zbigniew Maciejewski (1960), Teresa Markiewicz (1960), Alina Lassota (1962), Leokadia Komaiszko (1963), Regina Pszczołowska (1967).

Heading in the direction of the youngest authors, worth mentioning is Lucyna Bukowska (1973), Dariusz Wierbajtis (1973) oraz Maria Jakubowską (1976).

In the „generation 1980” noteworthy is Alicja Mickielewicz, Romuald Ławrynowicz, Olga Generałowa. Samples of their poetry, as well as texts of Ranata Pszczołowska and Gabriela Zajko entered the collection of poem released in Mrągowo: “East above Rossa” (2000)

Today, the youngest poetic generation is represented by Tomas Tamošiunas, Marzena Mackojć, Dariusz Kaplewski, Daniel Krajczyński who recklessly named themselves as New Vilnius Avant-garde.

In the next chapters we will write about topics preferred by our poets and their artwork.