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SUMMARY:"Reading Poland": When Mickiewicz Meets New Technology
UID:https://instytutpolski.pl/brussels/en/2026/10/05/reading-poland-when-mickiewicz-meets-new-technology/
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DTSTAMP:20260905
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Warsaw:20260905
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Warsaw:20261231
DESCRIPTION:From the French translation to printing by the Gutenberg One robot: a look
back at the creation of the first publication in the Polish Institute in
Brussels' book collection.
On the occasion of the Polish National Reading 2026, the Polish Institute
in Brussels wanted to give a lasting form to this celebration of the work
of Adam Mickiewicz. Held every year, the National Reading is an initiative
that invites people to rediscover and read together a major work of Polish
literature. This is how the project of a new edition of Dziady in Polish,
accompanied by its French translation, Les Aïeux, by Xavier Mottez, came
about.
These two books launch the Polish Institute in Brussels' collection "Lire
la Pologne / Czytać Polskę" ("Reading Poland"). Its aim is to introduce
an international audience to the richness of Polish literature, in the
original language and in French and/or Dutch translation. The collection
will include both classics and contemporary works, in order to encourage
the circulation of texts and dialogue between languages and cultures.
Adam Mickiewicz (1798–1855), a leading figure of Polish Romanticism, is
one of the most important authors in Polish literature. Dziady, one of his
seminal works, combines poetry, theatre, folk traditions and political
reflection. In it, Mickiewicz portrays, among other things, a people
deprived of freedom and struggling to preserve their identity, while also
questioning the role of the artist in the face of an oppressed community.
For nearly two centuries, the work has inspired writers, artists and
theatre directors, and it continues to hold an important place in Polish
culture.
Editorial work carried out in Brussels
The French version of the work was translated by Xavier Mottez, whose
collaboration played an essential role in the realisation of the project.
Publishing the two volumes required several stages: preparing and checking
the texts, successive proofreadings, corrections, typographic harmonisation
and design of the layout. The layout was produced by the Polish Institute
in Brussels, with particular attention to reading comfort and to a shared
identity for the Polish and French editions.
A cover by Roman Cieślewicz
Roman Cieślewicz - "Dziady", 1967
For the covers, the Institute chose one of the most striking visual
representations of Mickiewicz's work: the poster created in 1963 by Roman
Cieślewicz for the staging of Dziady at the National Theatre in Warsaw.
Roman Cieślewicz (1930–1996) is one of the major figures of the Polish
School of Posters and of 20th-century European graphic design. Based in
Paris from 1963, he developed a distinctive visual language built notably
on photomontage, collage and the reappropriation of images.
Thanks to the agreement of the rights holders, this emblematic poster could
be used for both editions, giving them a shared visual identity.
Robotic printing at Quartier Libre
The books were produced in Brussels in collaboration with the bookshop
Quartier Libre, in its printing workshop, QL PrintLab. Its printing robot,
named Gutenberg One, can produce a book on demand in five minutes, the time
it takes to drink a coffee.
Working from digital files, this technology prints the text and the cover,
then assembles, binds and trims the books on site. This method is
particularly well suited to small-run publishing projects. It makes it
possible to produce only the copies needed, without having to launch a
large print run or build up large stocks. It also supports a short supply
chain: the books were prepared and printed in Brussels, in partnership with
a local bookshop.
With Dziady / Les Aïeux, the Polish Institute in Brussels opens the first
chapter of "Lire la Pologne / Czytać Polskę". This new collection is a
concrete extension of its mission: to promote the Polish language and
Polish literature in Belgium and make them accessible to new readers.
Produced in a cultural setting and entirely non-commercial, this project
helps to make Polish literature known beyond its borders. To obtain a copy
of Dziady or Les Aïeux, simply contact the Polish Institute in Brussels or
make an appointment at the bookshop Quartier Libre.
Get a glimpse of the printing process by clicking here.
 
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