Ivonna Nowicka
Ivonna Nowicka - Ivonna Nowicka, Polish specialist in Iranian studies, translator.In accordance with the etymology and mission of translation to carry cultures across, she is attempting to introduce Polish belles-lettres into Persian and Persian literature into Polish. Publications in Persian in book form include three collections of verse by Polish poets Wislawa Szymborska (Teheran 2003 and 2004), Halina Poswiatowska (Teheran 2010) and Adam Mickiewicz (Teheran 2010) translated together with Alireza Doulatshahi.
The main translations from Persian into Polish are: an anthology of contemporary Iranian short stories “Kolacja cyprysu i ognia” (“The Supper of Cypress and Fire”; Warsaw 2002) comprising 26 stories by 7 male and 7 female writers from Iran; and a collection of 33 stories from “The Spiritual Masnawi” by Jalaloddin Rumi entitled “Aniol upojony” (“The Intoxicated Angel”; Warsaw 2009). Nowicka has been the first person to introduce Idries Shah into Polish by translating his collection of mystical stories “Tales of the Dervishes” (Cracow 2002). She also translated “The Magic Monastery” (Warsaw 2003) and “Wisdom of the Fools” (Warsaw 2002) by the same author. Other translations regarding Persian culture done from English into Polish include: “Reading Lolita in Tehran” by Azar Nafisi (together with Joanna Pierzchala; Warsaw 2005); “Roots and Results of the Revolution” by Nikki R. Keddie (Warsaw 2007); and chapters on Persia/Iran in the “Islamic Art and Architecture, 650-1250” by Richard Ettinghausen, Oleg Grabar, Marilyn Jenkins-Madina (Warsaw, 2007).
Sometimes she gets the inspiration to write songs and poems. She is also interested in Central European folk music.