Anikó Polgár, Hungary. Translation:: Anna Górecka.

Régészno körömcipoben

The main motif of the poetic book “Régészno körömcipoben” is the collective experience of women. Anikó Polgár speaks about the experience in reference to Greco-Roman mythological heroines, portrayed in an unconventional way stressing their human, corporeal dimension. The heroines give birth, breastfeed, suffer placed in the contemporary setting. In this atemporal universe men, represented by mythical gods – Zeus, Dionysus, Hermes, Vulcan, are also humanised by the poet. Polgár’s ironic and amusing poems offer the reader light-hearted yet challenging musings on the human dignity and freedom.

About the poet

Anikó Polgár

Born in 1975 in Šaľa, Slovakia, poet, literary historian, translator. She graduated with a degree in Classical Philology from Comenius University in Bratislava and currently lectures at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. Polgár is the author of two poetic books: “Troja, te feltört dió” (“Troy, You Cracked Nut”) from 1998 and “Régésznő körömcipőben” (“Archeologist in Pumps”) from 2009, and also many scholarly works and essays on ancient (the monograph “Catullus noster”) and modern literature. She translates from Latin, ancient Greek, Finnish, Slovakian and Czech. Her most important translation achievements include “Illatos kenőcsök háza. A középkori latin költészet gyöngyszemei” (“The House of Scented Ointments. Pearls of Medieval Latin Literature”, with Zoltán Csehy) and “Filostrata Erósz szárnyai. Ógörög szerelmes levelek” (“Eros’s Wings. Ancient Greek Love Letters”). Polgár is also interested in literary translation studies and has published “Ráfogások Ovidiusra” (“Attempts of Ovid’s Life”). She lives in Dunajská Streda.

Anikó Polgár is nominated for the European Poet of Freedom Literary Award for “Régésznő körömcipőben” (“Archeologist in Pumps”) from 2009.

About the translator

Anna Górecka

Hungarian translator and editor, Anna Górecka studied Hungarian Philology at the University of Warsaw. She worked for Nasza Księgarnia publishing house and lectured at the Faculty of Hungarian Philology, the University of Warsaw. Since 1997 an editor for “Literatura na Świecie”. She translates poetry and prose; her greatest achievements include Dudni kamień dudni Istvána Szilágyi’s “Kő hull apadó kútb” (“Stone Falls into a Receding Well”, 1975; Polish edition “Dudni kamień, dudni”, 2001), Frigyes Karinthy’s “Utazás a koponyám körül” (“A Journey Round My Skull” 1939; Polish edition “Podróż wokół mojej czaszki”, 2008), Ottó Tolnai’s “Költő disznózsírból” (“Poet of Lard” 2006; Polish edition “Poeta ze smalcu”, 2012).