Bill Johnston (born 1960) is a prolific

Polish language Polish (Polish: ''język polski'', , ''polszczyzna'' or simply ''polski'', ) is a West Slavic language of the Lechitic group written in the Latin script. It is spoken primarily in Poland and serves as the native language of the Poles. In a ...

literary translator and professor of

comparative literature Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the study of literature and cultural expression across linguistic, national, geographic, and disciplinary boundaries. Comparative literature "performs a role similar to that of the study ...

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

. His work has helped to expose English-speaking readers to classic and contemporary Polish poetry and fiction. In 2008 he received the Found in Translation Award for his translation of new poems by

Tadeusz Różewicz Tadeusz Różewicz (9 October 1921 – 24 April 2014) was a Polish poet, playwright, writer, and translator. Różewicz was in the first generation of Polish writers born after Poland regained its independence in 1918, following the century of f ...

; this book was also a finalist for the National Books Critics Circle Poetry Award. In 1999, he was awarded a

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

Creative Writing Fellowship for Poetry (Translation) for ''Balladina'' by

Juliusz Słowacki Juliusz Słowacki (; french: Jules Slowacki; 4 September 1809 – 3 April 1849) was a Polish Romantic poet. He is considered one of the " Three Bards" of Polish literature — a major figure in the Polish Romantic period, and the father of m ...

, and in 2005 he received a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship for a translation of ''The Coming Spring'' by

Stefan Żeromski Stefan Żeromski ( ; 14 October 1864 – 20 November 1925) was a Polish novelist and dramatist belonging to the Young Poland movement at the turn of the 20th century. He was called the "conscience of Polish literature". He also wrote under ...

. He is a recipient of the Amicus Poloniae award, presented by the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland (2003), the Diploma of the Polish Foreign Ministry (2004), and the Officer's

Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland The Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Order Zasługi Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej) is a Polish order of merit created in 1974, awarded to persons who have rendered great service to Poland. It is granted to foreigners or Poles resident a ...

(2012) for outstanding contribution to the promotion of the Polish culture and language in the U.S., as well as the development of Polish-American cultural cooperation. In 2005, his translation of Magdalena Tulli's ''Dreams and Stones'' won the Translation Award of AATSEEL (American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages). His translation of ''Stone Upon Stone'' by

Wiesław Myśliwski Wiesław Myśliwski (born 25 March 1932 in Dwikozy, near Sandomierz) is a Polish novelist. Biography He was born to a middle class family and raised in Ćmielów, where his father had participated in the Polish-Soviet War and became a local off ...

won the 2012

PEN Translation Prize The PEN Translation Prize (formerly known as the PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize through 2008) is an annual award given by PEN America (formerly PEN American Center) to outstanding translations into the English language. It has been p ...

, the 2012

Best Translated Book Award The Best Translated Book Award is an American literary award that recognizes the previous year's best original translation into English, one book of poetry and one of fiction. It was inaugurated in 2008 and is conferred by Three Percent, the onlin ...

and the AATSEEL Book Award for Best Literary Translation into English. Johnston read Modern Languages at the University of Oxford (

University College In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...

) and graduated in 1982. He earned his Ph.D in Second Language Acquisition from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.

Translations

Books

Adam Mickiewicz Adam Bernard Mickiewicz (; 24 December 179826 November 1855) was a Polish poet, dramatist, essayist, publicist, translator and political activist. He is regarded as national poet in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. A principal figure in Polish Ro ...

: '' Pan Tadeusz''. New York:

Archipelago Books Archipelago Books is an American not-for-profit publisher dedicated to promoting cross-cultural exchange through international literature in translation." Located in Brooklyn, New York, it publishes small to mid-size runs of international fiction ...

. 2018. * Julia Fiedorczuk: ''Selected Poems''. Brookline, MA; Zephyr Books. In progress. * Tomasz Różycki: ''Twelve Stations''. Brookline, MA: Zephyr Books. 2015. *

Stanisław Lem Stanisław Herman Lem (; 12 September 1921 – 27 March 2006) was a Polish writer of science fiction and essays on various subjects, including philosophy, futurology, and literary criticism. Many of his science fiction stories are of satirical ...

: ''

The Invincible ''The Invincible'' ( pl, Niezwyciężony) is a hard science fiction novel by Polish writer Stanisław Lem, published in 1964. In 2019, Rafał Mikołajczyk published the comic book ''Niezwyciężony'' 'The Invincible'' . Reviewers note the fait ...

''. Pro Auctore. 2014. *

: ''A Treatise on Shelling Beans''. New York: Archipelago Books. 2013. (shortlisted for the National Translation Award) * Magdalena Tulli: ''In Red''. New York: Archipelago Books. 2011. (shortlisted for Best Translated Book Award 2012: Fiction) * Andrzej Stasiuk: ''Dukla''. Champaign, IL: Dalkey Archive. 2011. *

: '' Solaris''. Newark, New Jersey: Audible.com (audiobook). 2011. *

: ''Stone Upon Stone''. New York: Archipelago Books. * Andrzej Stasiuk: ''Fado''. Champaign, IL:

Dalkey Archive Press Dalkey Archive Press is an American publisher of fiction, poetry, foreign translations and literary criticism specializing in the publication or republication of lesser-known, often avant-garde works. The company has offices in Funks Grove, Il ...

. *

: ''Balladina''. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. *

Jerzy Pilch Jerzy Pilch (; 10 August 1952 – 29 May 2020) was a Polish writer, columnist, and journalist. Critics have compared Pilch's style to Witold Gombrowicz, Milan Kundera, or Bohumil Hrabal. Early life and education Born and raised in the smal ...

: ''The Mighty Angel''. Rochester, NY: Open Letter. * Eugeniusz Tkaczyszyn-Dycki: ''Peregrinary''. Brookline, MA: Zephyr Books. 2008. * Magdalena Tulli: ''Flaw''. New York, NY: Archipelago Books. 2007. *

Jan Kochanowski Jan Kochanowski (; 1530 – 22 August 1584) was a Polish Renaissance poet who established poetic patterns that would become integral to the Polish literary language. He is commonly regarded as the greatest Polish poet before Adam Mickiewicz. ...

: ''The Envoys''. Kraków, Poland: Księgarnia Akademicka. 2007. *

: ''The Coming Spring''. London: Central European University Press. 2007. *

: new poems. New York, NY: Archipelago Books. 2007.(winner of 2008 Found in Translation Award)(finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Poetry Award, 2008). * Andrzej Stasiuk: ''Nine''. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace. 2007. * " The Song of Igor's Campaign" (from Old Russian). New York, NY:

Ugly Duckling Presse Ugly Duckling Presse is an American nonprofit art and publishing collective based in Brooklyn, New York City founded in 1993 by Matvei Yankelevich as a college zine. It publishes poetry, translations, lost works, and artist's books. A micro pr ...

. 2006. * Magdalena Tulli: ''Moving Parts''. New York, NY: Archipelago Books. 2005. * Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński: ''White Magic and Other Poems''. Los Angeles, CA: Green Integer. 2005. *

Witold Gombrowicz Witold Marian Gombrowicz (August 4, 1904 – July 24, 1969) was a Polish writer and playwright. His works are characterised by deep psychological analysis, a certain sense of paradox and absurd, anti-nationalist flavor. In 1937 he published his ...

: ''Polish Memories''. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. 2004. *

: '' Bacacay''. New York, NY: Archipelago Books. 2004. * Magdalena Tulli: ''Dreams and Stones''. New York, NY: Archipelago Books. 2004.(winner of 2005 AATSEEL Translation Award) * Gustaw Herling: ''The Noonday Cemetery and Other Stories''. New York, NY: New Directions. 2003.(LA Times Notable Book of the Year, 2003) *

: ''His Current Woman''. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press/ Hydra Books. 2002. *

: ''The Faithful River''. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press. 1999. * Andrzej Szczypiorski: ''The Shadow Catcher''. New York: Grove Press. 1997. *

Bolesław Prus Aleksander Głowacki (20 August 1847 – 19 May 1912), better known by his pen name Bolesław Prus (), was a Polish novelist, a leading figure in the history of Polish literature and philosophy, as well as a distinctive voice in world li ...

: ''The Sins of Childhood and Other Stories''. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press. 1996. * Maria Hochberg-Mariańska and Noe Grüss (Eds.): ''The Children Accuse''. London: Vallentine Mitchell. 1996. * Andrzej Szczypiorski: ''Self-Portrait with Woman''. New York: Grove Press. 1995.

Short pieces

* Andrzej Stasiuk: Dog. In New England Review, forthcoming. * Magdalena Tulli
What is Art For?
(Interview). In The White Review, January 2015. * Julia Fiedorczuk
Five Poems
World Literature Today, November–December 2014. pp. 30–32. * Andrzej Stasiuk: Asia: Shade and Shadow. In Continents, February 2014. * Andrzej Stasiuk
Kyrgyzstan
Words Without Borders, January 2014. * Tomasz Różycki: A Grandson Returns. In Little Star 4, 144-177. 2012. *

A Puzzle
In VICE, 19/9. 2012. * Andrzej Stasiuk
Lublin
In Citybooks. 2012. *

: Stone Upon Stone (extract). Absinthe, 14, 10-24. 2011. * Teatr Ósmego Dnia: The Files (play). To appear in: Carol Martin & Richard Schechner (Eds.), In Performance. New York: Seagull Books. In press. * Andrzej Stasiuk: Dukla (extract). Words Without Borders, 2010. * Julia Fiedorczuk: Five poems. In PRECIPICe, 3/1-2, 2009. * Dariusz Suska: Fifteen poems. In Jacek Dehnel (Eds.), Six Polish Poets, pp. 46–65. London: Arc Publications. 2008. * Eugeniusz Tkaczyszyn-Dycki: Five poems. In Modern Poetry in Translation, 3/10, 159–162. 2008. * Eugeniusz Tkaczyszyn-Dycki: “Carriers on the steps of the cathedral” (poem). In Seneca Review, 38/2, 67. 2008. * Krzysztof Koehler: Two poems. In: Wayne Miller & Kevin Prufer (Eds.), New European Poets, pp. 181–182. Minneapolis, MN: Graywolf. 2008. * Eugeniusz Tkaczyszyn-Dycki: Two poems. In: Wayne Miller & Kevin Prufer (Eds.), New European Poets, p. 179. Minneapolis, MN: Graywolf. 2008. * Magdalena Tulli: Flaw (extract). Edinburgh Review, 121, 84–90. 2007. * Magdalena Tulli: Blemish (aka Flaw) (extract). Agni, 65, 180–188. 2007. *

: words (poem). The Nation, February 22, 2007, p. 34. *

: Balladina (extract). Przekładaniec, 2/2005, 40–63. *

Four poems
Words without Borders, September 2005. * Eugeniusz Tkaczyszyn-Dycki
three poems
Words without Borders, September 2005. * Andrzej Sosnowski: From "Zoom". ''Lyric Review'', 8, pp. 66–69. 2005. * Eugeniusz Tkaczyszyn-Dycki: Two poems. ''Lyric Review'', 8, pp. 79. 2005. * Krzysztof Koehler: "Mass at Four". ''Lyric Review'', 8, pp. 36–40. 2005. * Julia Fiedorczuk: "While for those who yearn". ''Lyric Review'', 8, pp. 16. 2005. * Wojciech Bonowicz: Three poems. ''Lyric Review'', 8, pp. 13–14. 2005. * Magdalena Tulli: Parts of Speech (Moving Parts) (extract). Agni, 61, pp. 208–222. 2005. * Magdalena Tulli: Parts of Speech (Moving Parts) (extract). Ninth Letter, 2/1, 17–21. 2005. *

: Polish Memories (extract). Theater Magazine, 34/3, pp. 34–63. 2004. *

: The Memoirs of Stefan Czarniecki. Georgia Review, 58/3, pp. 670–681. 2004. *

: The Rat. New England Review, 25/1-2, pp. 78–86. *

Adventures
Words Without Borders, August 2004. *

The Mighty Angel
(extract). Words Without Borders, March 2004. At: * Magdalena Tulli
Dreams and Stones
(extract). ). Words Without Borders, March 2004. * Mariusz Grzebalski: Six poems. In M. Baran (Ed.): Carnivorous Boy and Carnivorous Bird: Poems by Polish Poets Born After 1958, pp, 297–307. Brookline, MA: Zephyr Press. 2004. * Krzysztof Koehler: Six poems. In M. Baran (Ed.): Carnivorous Boy and Carnivorous Bird: Poems by Polish Poets Born After 1958, pp. 147–159. Brookline, MA: Zephyr Press. 2004. * Tadeusz Pióro: Four poems. In M. Baran (Ed.): Carnivorous Boy and Carnivorous Bird: Poems by Polish Poets Born After 1958, pp. 58–65. Brookline, MA: Zephyr Press. 2004. * Johnston, B. Introduction: The poetry of Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński. In Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński, White Magic and Other Poems (B. Johnston, trans.). Los Angeles, CA: Green Integer. In press. * Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński
Three poems
Mr. Knife, Miss Fork, no. 2: an Anthology of International Poetry, August 2003. *

: Old Kubica and the darkness; Filarecka St. Przekadaniec, special issue 2001, pp. 124–134. * Magdalena Tulli: In Red (extract). Przekładaniec, special issue 2001, pp. 210–224. * Mariusz Grzebalski: Two poems. Przekładaniec, special issue 2001, pp. 236–239. * Krzysztof Koehler: Three poems. Przekładaniec, special issue 2001, pp. 190–195. *

: Filarecka St. (extract from essay). Aufbau, 20, October 2000. *

: Heart in mouth (essay). ''Chicago Review'', 46/3–4, pp. 285–290. 2000. * Włodzimierz Odojewski: Extract from Oksana. ''Chicago Review'', 46/3–4, pp. 126–130. 2000. * Magdalena Tulli: Extract from In Red. ''Chicago Review'', 46/3–4, pp. 255–262. 2000. * Tadeusz Pióro: Two poems. ''Chicago Review'', 46/3–4, pp. 222–223. 2000. * Krzysztof Koehler: Crucifixion (poem). Two Lines: Crossings, pp. 98–101. 2000. * Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński: Five poems. Przekładaniec, 6, pp. 32–41. 2000. *

: Other Pleasures (chs. 1, 3, 13). ''Partisan Review'', 67/1, pp. 72–82. 2000. *

: Other Pleasures (chs. 4-6). 2B, 14, pp. 201–210. 1999. *

Lech Wałęsa Lech Wałęsa (; ; born 29 September 1943) is a Polish statesman, dissident, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who served as the President of Poland between 1990 and 1995. After winning the 1990 election, Wałęsa became the first democrati ...

: Letter to my grandson. In Liv Ullman (Ed.), Letter to my Grandchild (pp. 106–107). New York: Grove Press. 1998. * Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński: Evil lullaby (poem). eXchanges, 10, pp. 90–91. 1998. *

Adam Zagajewski Adam Zagajewski (21 June 1945 – 21 March 2021) was a Polish poet, novelist, translator, and essayist. He was awarded the 2004 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, the 2016 Griffin Poetry Prize Lifetime Recognition Award, the 2017 P ...

: Długa Street. TriQuarterly, 100, pp. 288–294. 1997.

Major awards & honors

* 2014–2017: Henry Remak Endowed Professorship,

* 2014: Transatlantyk Prize for the promotion of Polish literature abroad * 2014: Tadeusz Walendowski Prize, awarded by the Polish Library in Washington * 2014: Wiesław Myśliwski’s A Treatise on Shelling Beans shortlisted for the

National Translation Award The National Translation Award is awarded annually by the American Literary Translators Association for literary translators who have made an outstanding contribution to literature in English by masterfully recreating the artistic force of a book o ...

* 2013–2014: Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship * 2013:

Lannan Foundation The Lannan Literary Awards are a series of awards and literary fellowships given out in various fields by the Lannan Foundation. Established in 1989, the awards are meant "to honor both established and emerging writers whose work is of exceptional ...

Residency * 2012:

AATSEEL The American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages (AATSEEL) is an academic organization founded in 1941. AATSEEL holds an annual conference each January and publishes the ''Slavic and East European Journal'' (SEEJ), a pee ...

(American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages) Award for Best Literary Translation into English, for ''Stone Upon Stone'' by

* 2012: Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit, awarded by the President of the Republic of Poland * 2012:

Translation Award for

's ''Stone Upon Stone'' * 2012:

for

's ''Stone Upon Stone'' * 2012: Best Translated Book Award (Fiction) for

's ''Stone Upon Stone'' * 2012: Magdalena Tulli’s ''In Red'' shortlisted for Best Translated Book Award (Fiction) * 2010:

’s ''The Mighty Angel'' long-listed for Best Translated Book Award (Fiction) * 2009: Eugeniusz Tkaczyszyn-Dycki’s ''Peregrinary'' a finalist for Best Translated Book Award (Poetry) * 2008: Found in Translation Award for new poems by

* 2008:

's new poems a finalist for the National Books Critics Circle Poetry Award.\ * 2005: Translation Prize of

(American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages) for ''Dreams and Stones'' by Magdalena Tulli * 2005:

National Endowment for the Humanities The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...

Fellowship, for a translation of ''The Coming Spring'' by

* 2004: Diploma of the Polish Foreign Ministry * 2003: Amicus Poloniae award, presented by the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland * 1999–2001: National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship for Poetry (Translation) for ''Balladina'' by

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnston, Bill American translators Living people 1960 births