Barbara Rosiek (June 25, 1959 – April 27, 2020) was a Polish writer, poet and clinical psychologist.

Early years

Rosiek was born in

Częstochowa Częstochowa ( , ; german: Tschenstochau, Czenstochau; la, Czanstochova) is a city in southern Poland on the Warta River with 214,342 inhabitants, making it the thirteenth-largest city in Poland. It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship (admin ...

. She made her literary debut in 1985 as the author of "Pamiętnik Narkomanki" (English: ‘Diary of a drug addict’), a book she started when she was 14 and finished while studying, describing her life dominated by her struggle with

drug addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use of ...

. Breaking the habit was a long and difficult process for Rosiek which required perseverance and strength. She won and finished college.

Career

Rosiek was a clinical psychologist. She worked in hospitals in Lubiniec and Częstochowa as well as in the Society of Friends of Families and Friends of Children Addicted but due to poor health, Barbara Rosiek stopped working professionally. In 1993 she became a member of the department of Cracow Polish Writers Union. She was interested in philosophy, even more attracted to travelling. When asked what was the most important thing in her life, she replied: love, friendship, peace of mind. Writing was a form of therapy for the author, which made her very calm and thanks to this she was able to survive many hard periods. She could not imagine life without possibility to express her anxiety and the attitude to her own experiences. She claimed it was also kind of spiritual contact with God, and the dialogue with the rest of the world. In addition to the "Pamiętnik narkomanki" which achieved number of theater-settings, Rosiek has written few other books like "Byłam schizofreniczką” (English: ‘I was schizophrenic’) which is an authentic record of the writer’s battle against the disease. Her artistic achievements also include some volumes of poetry. In 2002, the author was honoured for lifetime with Silver Medal of Cambridge. Receipt of this medal is associated with replacing a biography of person awarded in the international edition of the "Who's Who 2000-2100”.

Publications

;Novels * ''Pamiętnik narkomanki'' (1985) * ''Kokaina'' * ''Byłam schizofreniczką'' * ''Alkohol, prochy i ja'' * ''W poszukiwaniu ducha'' (2007) * ''Kokaina. Zwierzenia narkomanki'' * ''Poganiacze Chleba'' (2008) * ''Życie w hospicjum'' (2010) * ''Oddział otwarty'' (2012) ;Poetry * ''Byłam mistrzynią kamuflażu'' * ''Jak ptak przytwierdzony do skały'' * ''A imię jego Alemalem'' * ''Wdowa'' * ''Krzyk'' * ''Miłość niedokończona'' * ''Uwierzyć i Melancholia'' * ''Żar miłości'' * ''Ciało na kracie'' * ''Być poetą''

Bibliography

Polish bibliography 1988 - 2001

References

*http://www.gazetacz.com.pl/artykul.php?id=1925&idm=186 *https://web.archive.org/web/20150620134806/http://www.petlaczasu.pl/barbara-rosiek/a00000573 {{DEFAULTSORT:Rosiek, Barbara 1959 births People from Częstochowa 2020 deaths 20th-century Polish novelists 21st-century Polish novelists Polish women novelists Polish women poets 20th-century Polish women writers 21st-century Polish women writers 20th-century Polish poets 21st-century Polish poets