Polish Institute invited Indian writer, journalist, and curator of the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters (MBIFL) in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), Mr Sabin Iqbal to visit Poland to meet people from literary circles and conduct lectures for the students of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. Mr Iqbal was invited for a residential stay at the Wisława Szymborska’s apartment in Kraków where the Nobel prize winner spent her last 15 years of life. His impressions from his visit to Kraków, UNESCO City of Literature were published in the article below.

Mr Iqbal left Kraków to stay at another Nobel Prize winner place, Czesław Miłosz’s family manor at Krasnogruda, Sejny. 

Mr Igbal spent almost two weeks there looking for literary inspiration. In the meantime, he met with the Ambassador of India to Poland, HE Nagma M Mullick.

From Krasnogruda Mr. Iqbal traveled to Poznań. On 10th October he conducted a first lecture at Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań for MA Creative Writing students. He was impressed by their insightful questions about the process of creative writing.

On 14th October at the Bookowski bookstore in Poznań, Mr Iqbal met with the audience to discuss his book “The Cliffhangers”. “The Cliffhangers” was translated into Polish (“Chłopaki z Klifu”) and the audience had a chance to get their copy of the book signed by the author. 

On 15th October, Mr Iqbal gave a 90-minute talk to the 2nd year BA Creative Writing Polish students at Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań on the process and the challenges of a writer.