\u201cMythical and epic<\/i>\u201d \u2013 that was how Thomas Mann described J\u00f3zef Wittlin\u2019s classic novel of the First World War, seen through the eyes of a common man drafted into the Austro-Hungarian army. In his introduction to this new translation of\u00a0The Salt of the Earth<\/i>, Philippe Sands says that Mann\u2019s words might equally have been written to describe Wittlin himself.<\/p>\n
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This event will present a novel that is as relevant now as it was when first published in 1935. Mann instantly saw its timelessness in his conclusions: \u201cThere is humour and the lyrical, extraordinary detail that allows us to begin to understand some greater truths. There is irony and pity. There is a cry against horror and absurdity. There is the focus on the individual in the group. There is a tale, simple and extraordinary, that is perhaps for our times, once again, as greater forces propel us in an increasingly unsettled direction.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The individual in question is Piotr Niewiadomski, an illiterate railway porter from an obscure Galician town \u2013 even his name means \u201cunknown\u201d, and he is the epitome of the Unknown Soldier. In contrast to his insignificant hero, Wittlin also presents the grand masters of war, the Emperor and his advisors, wielding the power that will ruin the lives of millions of their own humble citizens.<\/p>\n
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This new translation by Patrick John Corness, published by Pushkin Press, rightfully revives a novel that deserves its place beside Robert Graves\u2019\u00a0Goodbye to All That<\/i>, Wilfred Owen\u2019s poetry or Erich Maria Remarque\u2019s\u00a0All Quiet on the Western Front<\/i>\u00a0as the great classics of First World War literature. Like those works, it is far more than a war novel \u2013 it is a lyrical condemnation of the folly and horror of war.<\/p>\n
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J\u00f3zef Wittlin<\/b>\u00a0(1896-1976), poet, novelist, essayist and translator, was born in a small Polish town, and went to school in Lw\u00f3w (now Lviv). His studies at the University of Vienna were interrupted by two years on active service in the Austro-Hungarian army during the First World War, serving in its Eastern Polish Legion. The experience prompted him to write\u00a0The Salt of the Earth<\/i>, which won him the Polish National Academy Prize and a nomination for the Nobel Prize. With the outbreak of the Second World War he left Poland for France, and moved from there to New York, where he lived for the rest of his life.<\/p>\n
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In this presentation\u00a0Antonia Lloyd-Jones and Dr \u0141ukasz Tischner<\/b>\u00a0will discuss the main themes of\u00a0The Salt of the Earth<\/i>, will read some extracts and will also talk about its remarkable author. Translator\u00a0Patrick John Corness<\/b>\u00a0will comment on his experience as translator, and we are very pleased to say that J\u00f3zef Wittlin\u2019s daughter\u00a0Elizabeth Wittlin Lipton<\/b>\u00a0will also be present.<\/p>\n
…<\/p>\n
Dr \u0141ukasz Tischner<\/b>\u00a0is an academic specialising in the history of 20th<\/sup>-century Polish literature at the Jagiellonian University in Krak\u00f3w. He has also been editor of the literary monthly\u00a0Znak<\/i>, and is a translator and occasional jazz critic. His major publications include scholarly works on Czes\u0142aw Mi\u0142osz and Witold Gombrowicz. In his research he focuses on how literature is connected with philosophy and religion.<\/p>\n Antonia Lloyd-Jones\u00a0<\/b>is the translator of \u201cMy Lw\u00f3w\u201d, Wittlin\u2019s essay about the city of his youth, published in\u00a0City of Lions<\/i>\u00a0(Pushkin Press) alongside a contemporary essay, \u201cMy Lviv\u201d, by Philippe Sands. She has also translated fiction by several of Poland\u2019s leading contemporary novelists, as well as reportage, crime fiction, poetry and children\u2019s books. She is a former co-chair of the UK Translators Association.<\/p>\n The Salt of the Earth<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0City of Lions<\/i>\u00a0will be available to buy at the event (cash or credit card).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cMythical and epic\u201d \u2013 that was how Thomas Mann described J\u00f3zef Wittlin\u2019s classic novel of the First World War, seen through the eyes of a common man drafted into the Austro-Hungarian army. In his introduction to this new translation of\u00a0The Salt of the Earth, Philippe Sands says that Mann\u2019s words might equally have been written […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":511,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-literature"],"yoast_head":"\n