Bolesław Taborski (7 May 1927 – 6 December 2010) was a Polish poet, literary and drama theoretician, essayist, prolific translator of English and Polish, and a long serving BBC Polish Section editor and presenter. He chronicled and translated into English the work of some of the most notable Poles of the

Post-war era A post-war or postwar period is the interval immediately following the end of a war. The term usually refers to a varying period of time after World War II, which ended in 1945. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum, w ...

of the 20th century, such as

Lech Wałęsa Lech Wałęsa (; ; born 29 September 1943) is a Polish statesman, dissident, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who served as the president of Poland between 1990 and 1995. After winning the 1990 Polish presidential election, 1990 election, Wałę ...

, Jan Kott, and Jerzy Grotowski. His undoubted influence on modern theatre has yet to be assessed in detail. He had a personal friendship with

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

which grew out of their shared interest in literature and the fact that Taborski was his literary translator into English.

Early life

Taborski was born in

Toruń Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a World Heritage Sites of Poland, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–199 ...

. During the

occupation of Poland Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, th ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he was a member of the

underground resistance Underground Resistance (commonly abbreviated to UR) are an American musical collective from Detroit, Michigan. Producing primarily Detroit techno since 1990 with a grungy four-track musical aesthetic, they are also renowned for their militant ...

both in

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

and

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

where he took part in the uprising in 1944. In its aftermath he became a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

. After liberation he decided to stay in the West.

Literary career

In 1946 he arrived in the United Kingdom. After graduating in English Literature and Drama at

Bristol University The University of Bristol is a public research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Merchant Venturers' school founded in 1595 and University College, Bristol, which had ...

, he joined the editorial board of the Polish magazine, '' Merkuriusz Polski Nowy''. He was a member of the émigré poetic movement ''Kontynenty''. For thirty years from 1959 he was on the staff of the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

service to Poland, among other programmes, editing and presenting the Sunday arts broadcast, latterly known as ''The Arts by the Thames'' ("Sztuka nad Tamizą"). His extensive translation output includes translating the work of

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a re ...

Robert Graves Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was an English poet, soldier, historical novelist and critic. His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet and figure in the Gaelic revival; they were b ...

Philip Larkin Philip Arthur Larkin (9 August 1922 – 2 December 1985) was an English poet, novelist, and librarian. His first book of poetry, '' The North Ship'', was published in 1945, followed by two novels, '' Jill'' (1946) and '' A Girl in Winter'' (194 ...

and

Robert Lowell Robert Traill Spence Lowell IV (; March 1, 1917 – September 12, 1977) was an American poet. He was born into a Boston Brahmin family that could trace its origins back to the ''Mayflower''. His family, past and present, were important subjects ...

into Polish. Probably his most influential translation into English was professor Jan Kott's ''Shakespeare our Contemporary'', which inspired theatrical directors for a generation, people like,

Peter Brook Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Shak ...

and

Charles Marowitz Charles Marowitz (26 January 1934 – 2 May 2014) was an American critic, theatre director, and playwright, regular columnist on Swans Commentary. He collaborated with Peter Brook at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and later founded and direct ...

. He also worked with Jerzy Grotowski to make him more accessible to an English speaking audience. Taborski was himself the author of several texts on theatre. Taborski's translations into English also include the plays of Karol Woytyła,

. He came to know Woytyła personally and travelled to Rome where they discussed literature for over a decade.

Awards

He received the Koscielski Award in 1977. This was followed in 1988 by the Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz award.

Personal life

Bolesław Taborski married Halina, a professor and latterly, chancellor of the Polish University Abroad; they had a daughter. He was a long-standing member of the SPP, ''Polish Writers Association'' and of the

PEN PEN may refer to: * (National Ecological Party), former name of the Brazilian political party Patriota (PATRI) * PEN International, a worldwide association of writers ** English PEN, the founding centre of PEN International ** PEN America, located ...

club. He published a memoir of his time in the Warsaw uprising, ''Moje Powstanie - wtedy i teraz'' (1998).

Death

Taborski died in London, aged 83. His ashes were taken to the Pantheon of the

Armia Krajowa The Home Army (, ; abbreviated AK) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) established in the ...

in the Powązki Military Cemetery.

Selected bibliography

Main works

Poetry collections include: * ''Czasy mijania'' (1957) * ''Ziarna nocy'' (1958) * ''Przestępując granicę'' (1962) * ''Lekcja trwająca'' (1967) * ''Głos milczenia'' (1969) * ''Wybór wierszy'' (1973) * ''Duet'' (1975) * ''Sieć Słów'' (1976) * ''For the Witnesses'' (1978) * ''Obserwator cieni'' (1979) * ''Miłość'' (1980) * ''Cudza teraźniejszość'' (1983) * ''Sztuka'' (1985) * ''Cisza traw'' (1986) * ''Życie i śmierć'' (1988) * ''Dobranoc bezsensie'' (1991) * ''Przetrwanie'' (1998) * ''Poezje wybrane'' (1999) * ''Drzwi gnieźnieńskie/Gniezno Door'' (2000) * ''Ułamek istnienia'' (2002) * ''Nowa Era Big Brothera i inne wiersze'' (2004) * ''Plan B.'' (2007) * ''Mój przyjaciel Szekspir'' (2007) * ''Jedyne wyjście'' (2010)

Works related to Pope John Paul II

Translations of the plays of Karol Woytyła

* ''Job'' * ''Jeremiah'' * '' Our God's Brother'' * ''The Jeweller's Shop'' * ''Radiating Paternity''

Biographical sketches and poems

* ''Wprost w moje serce uderza droga wszystkich: o Karolu Wojtyle Janie Pawle II – szkice, wspomnienia, wiersze'' (2005) ("Everyone's Journey Makes My Heart Jump: About Karol Woytyła, John Paul II – Sketches, Recollections, Poems")

Selected works on theatre

* ''Nowy teatr elżbietański'' (1967), "The New Elizabethan Theatre" * ''Polish Plays in English Translations - A Bibliography'' (1968) * ''Byron and the Theatre'' (1972) * ''Karola Wojtyły dramaturgia wnętrza'' (1989) * ''Mój przyjaciel Szekspir'' (2007) ("My friend Shakespeare")Taborski, Bolesław. (2007). ''Mój przyjaciel Szekspir ...'' ''Seria Jubileuszowa XX-lecia Konfraterni Poetów''. London: Oficyna Konfraterni Poetów,

References

External links

* Śmieja, Florian on Taborski and John Paul II's literary creativity, http://www.cultureave.com/w-polskiej-sekcji-bbc-boleslaw-taborski-przepracowal-34-lata-redagujac-magazyn-artystyczno-literacki-tlumaczac-angielskie-sztuki-i-sporzadzajac-sprawozdania-z-festiwali-artystycznych-byla-to-ciezka/ accessed 10 February 2018 * Laureaci Nagrody im. Stanisława Ignacego Witkiewicza, winners of the Witkacy Award: {{DEFAULTSORT:Taborski, Bolesław 1927 births 2010 deaths Warsaw Uprising insurgents Alumni of the University of Bristol Polish male poets 20th-century Polish poets 21st-century Polish poets People from Toruń Literary translators Polish translators Translators from Polish Polish–English translators Shakespearean scholars Polish male writers Acting theorists Polish theatre critics Polish anti-communists Polish emigrants to the United Kingdom BBC radio presenters BBC newsreaders and journalists BBC World Service people Polish radio journalists Polish prisoners in Nazi concentration camps People associated with Kultura (magazine)