Anna Kamieńska facts for kids
Anna Kamieńska (born April 12, 1920, in Krasnystaw – died May 10, 1986, in Warsaw) was a famous Polish poet, writer, and translator. She wrote many books, especially for children and teenagers. She was also known for her literary criticism.
Life of Anna Kamieńska
Anna Kamieńska was born on April 12, 1920. Her birthplace was Krasnystaw, a town in Poland. Her parents were Tadeusz Kamienski and Maria z Cękalskich. Anna spent her early childhood years in Lublin. She often visited her grandparents in Świdnik.
Anna's father passed away when she was young. This meant her mother had to raise four daughters by herself. Anna started writing poetry when she was about 14 years old, around 1936. Her first poems were published in a magazine called "Płomyczek." A famous poet, Joseph Czechowicz, helped her get them published.
From 1937, Anna studied at the Pedagogical School in Warsaw. During World War II, when the Nazis occupied Poland, she lived in Lublin. She bravely taught in secret schools in villages. These were called "underground schools." After finishing college in Lublin, she studied classical philology. This is the study of ancient languages and literature. She studied first at the Catholic University of Lublin and then at the University of Lodz.
Anna Kamieńska worked for several cultural magazines. She was an editor for the weekly magazine Country from 1946 to 1953. She also worked as a poetry editor for New Culture from 1950 to 1963. Later, she worked for the monthly magazine Work starting in 1968. In the mid-1950s, she began writing songs for young people.
In 1948, Anna married Jan Śpiewak, who was also a poet and translator. They had two sons together. Their first son was Jan Leon (1949-1988), who became a journalist and writer. Their second son was Paweł (born in 1951). Paweł later became a professor of sociology at the University of Warsaw. He also served as a member of the Polish parliament, called the Sejm, from 2005 to 2007.
Anna and Jan often worked together. They translated Russian poetry and plays. They also edited many books. In 1967, Jan suddenly became ill with cancer. He passed away on December 22. After his death, Anna returned to the Roman Catholic Church. This deeply influenced her later writings and poems.
Anna Kamieńska passed away in Warsaw on May 10, 1986.
Anna Kamieńska's Works
Anna Kamieńska wrote many books during her life. She published fifteen books of poetry. She also wrote two volumes of "Notebooks." These notebooks were like journals where she wrote down her thoughts and questions. She also wrote three books explaining parts of the Bible.
Anna was also a talented translator. She translated works from several Slavic languages. She also translated from Hebrew, Latin, and French.
Her poems often explored deep feelings. She wrote about the struggle between a thinking mind and religious faith. Her poems also talked about loneliness and feeling unsure. She wrote in a direct and honest way. Even when exploring sadness or the search for love, her poems often showed quiet humor. They also expressed a strong sense of thanks for life. She wrote about many creatures, like hedgehogs and birds. She also wrote about "young leaves willing to open to the sun."
Kamieńska's poems also touched on Judaism. She wrote about the sad loss of Jewish culture and the Yiddish language in Poland. This loss happened because of the Holocaust.
Works in Translation
Some of Anna Kamieńska's works have been translated into English:
- Astonishments : Selected Poems of Anna Kamieńska, edited and translated by Grażyna Drabik and David Curzon, Paraclete Press, 2007.
- In That Great River: A Notebook (Prose from Poetry Magazine).
- "Two Darknesses" Selected & Translated by Tomasz P Krzeszowski & Desmond Graham Flambard Press, 1994.
