Zbigniew Herbert | |
|---|---|
 Herbert in 1964 | |
| Born | 29 October 1924 Lwów, Poland |
| Died | 28 July 1998 (aged 73) Warsaw, Poland |
| Resting place | Powązki Cemetery |
| Occupation | Poet, essayist |
| Language | Polish, German |
| Nationality | Polish |
| Notable awards | Austrian State Prize for European Literature 1965 Herder Prize 1973 Jerusalem Prize 1991 Vilenica Prize 1991 Order of the White Eagle 2007 |
| Spouse |
Katarzyna Dzieduszycka
(m. 1968) |
| Signature | |
 | |
Zbigniew Herbert (Polish: [ˈzbiɡɲɛf ˈxɛrbɛrt] ; 29 October 1924 – 28 July 1998) was a Polish poet, essayist, drama writer and moralist. He is one of the best known and the most translated post-war Polish writers.[1][2] While he was first published in the 1950s (a volume titled Chord of Light was issued in 1956), soon after he voluntarily ceased submitting most of his works to official Polish government publications. He resumed publication in the 1980s, initially in the underground press. Since the 1960s, he has been nominated several times for the Nobel Prize in Literature.[3] His books have been translated into 38 languages.[4]
Herbert was educated as an economist and a lawyer. Herbert was one of the main poets of the Polish opposition to communism. Starting in 1986, he lived in Paris, where he cooperated with the journal Zeszyty Literackie. He came back to Poland in 1992. On 1 July 2007 the Polish Government instituted 2008 as the Year of Zbigniew Herbert. In 2013, the Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award was established in honour of the poet and his literary legacy.[5] He received the 1963 Kościelski Prize (Geneva), 1965 Jurzykowski Prize, 1965 Austrian State Prize for European Literature, 1973 Herder Prize (Austria), 1979 Petrarca-Preis (Germany), and 1991 Jerusalem Prize (Israel).
Herbert claimed to be a distant relative of the 17th-century Anglo-Welsh poet George Herbert.[6]
- ^ Shapiro, Harvey (29 July 1998). "Zbigniew Herbert, 73, a Poet Who Sought Moral Values". The New York Times.
- ^ "ZBIGNIEW HERBERT - "Bądź wierny Idź"". Retrieved 24 March 2020.
- ^ "Sejm proclaims 2018 Zbigniew Herbert Year". Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ "Czytanie Polski". Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ "About The Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award". Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
- ^ Shapiro, Harvey (29 July 1998). "Zbigniew Herbert, 73, a Poet Who Sought Moral Values". The New York Times.