Week-long festival to celebrate Polish literary hero

A festival is taking place in Galway from this Saturday, September 10, to Saturday, September 17, to celebrate one of Poland’s most popular and best-known writers, Henryk Sienkiewicz.

The Quo Vadis – Henryk Sienkiewicz Festival will mark the life and work of the novelist, journalist and Nobel Prize laureate who died 100 years ago this year.

The Polish Senate designated 2016 as The Year of Henryk Sienkiewicz, with events taking place all over the world to mark the centenary of his death and celebrate his work.

Galway City is the only Irish city taking part in the commemoration.

The festival will kick off this Saturday, September 10, when Galway City Library on Augustine Street, will host a public reading of Sienkiewicz’s novels for children. A similar reading will be held on Saturday, September 17. These will take place at 1pm on both days and will be family-friendly readings, which children of all ages are invited to attend. Like all events in this festival, they are free.

The City Library will also host an exhibition of Polish illustrators for the week.

Meanwhile, from next Monday, September 12, until September 17, Nun’s Island Theatre will be transformed into a desert and jungle environment for children. In Desert and Wilderness was one of Sienkiewicz’s most celebrated novels for young people, an adventure across the deserts and jungles of Africa. The re-imagined theatre will allow the children to experience aspects of the book and learn about the author in a fun and interactive environment. Big groups are advised to pre-book by calling 086 2016339.

Next Friday, September 16, there will be a film screening of With Fire and Sword at Galway City Museum, Spanish Arch, at 9pm. This action-packed novel was adapted for screen a number of times, most recently in 1999. A thriller, it chronicles the nobility of 17th century Poland and the era of partition in Poland. Warm clothes are advised for the outdoor screening, which will be presented as part of the Culture Night programme of events.

Also on Friday, a new mural created by local artist Finbar 247, will be unveiled. Located next to the Galway Picture Palace on Lower Merchant’s Road, the mural has been influenced and inspired by Sienkiewicz’s writing and is a celebration of Polish culture in an Irish context. A small reception will take place at the mural at 7pm on Culture Night.

This new Festival is being organised by the Bardzo ladnie Foundation, which was was established in Poland in 2014 as a not-for-profit organisation which aims to celebrate Polish culture, traditions and art.

The foundation moved to Galway in 2015 and aims to create better Polish/Irish relations through artistic projects such as this one.

This Festival has been supported by Galway City Council, the Polish embassy in Dublin and the Polish Government.

■ For more information, follow the Festival on Facebook at Quo Vadis-Galway or visit www.bardzoladnie.org