Acclaimed British translator Antonia Lloyd-Jones has been awarded Poland’s Gloria Artis Gold Medal for Merit to Culture. The award is one of Poland’s highest cultural honours. It recognises her exceptional contribution to promoting Polish literature to English-speaking audiences worldwide.

The official citation praised Lloyd-Jones for her “outstanding creative achievements and a notable contribution to the development and promotion of Polish culture.”

Celebrated at the World Congress in Kraków

The medal was presented during the World Congress of Translators of Polish Literature in Kraków. Polish Culture Minister Marta Cienkowska addressed the congress to thank international translators for expanding the reach of Polish stories.

“For literature to travel, it needs people who can hear not only what the author wrote but also what remains hidden between the lines,” Minister Cienkowska stated. “That is why translators are co-creators of encounters between cultures.”

At the same ceremony, celebrated Polish poet, novelist, and translator Jacek Dehnel was also honoured, receiving the Gloria Artis Bronze Medal for Merit to Culture.

A Legacy of Connecting Cultures

Lloyd-Jones is widely regarded as one of the foremost translators of Polish literature into English. Her extensive body of work spans multiple genres, including:

• Literary fiction and non-fiction
• Classical and modern poetry
• Children’s literature

She has brought the voices of Poland’s finest writers to the English-speaking world. Her translations include works by sci-fi icon Stanisław Lem, Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, and legendary journalist Ryszard Kapuściński. Notably, she has translated several books by Nobel Prize-winning author Olga Tokarczuk. Her translation of Tokarczuk’s novel Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead was shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker International Prize in 2019.

This Gold Medal adds to a long list of accolades for Lloyd-Jones. She is also a two-time recipient of the Transatlantyk Prize, awarded by the Polish Book Institute, which she won in 2009 and 2013.

Photo courtesy of the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage Kuba Ociepa / Polish Book Institute & Jakub Krasny