Maria Kuncewiczowa
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Maria Kuncewiczowa (
Samara Samara ( rus, Сама́ра, p=sɐˈmarə), known from 1935 to 1991 as Kuybyshev (; ), is the largest city and administrative centre of Samara Oblast. The city is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Samara (Volga), Samara rivers, with ...
, Russian Empire, 30 October 1895 - 15 July 1989,
Lublin Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of t ...
, Poland) was a Polish writer and novelist. Kuncewiczowa's works span from short stories to novels to radio novels to literary diaries.


Early life

Maria Kuncewiczowa was born on October 30, 1895 in Samara, Russian Empire. Her parents had been exiled to Russia for involvement in the January 1863 Polish Insurrection, and the family returned to Warsaw when she was 2 years old. Her parents were members of the
Polish intelligentsia The intelligentsia is a status class composed of the university-educated people of a society who engage in the complex mental labours by which they critique, shape, and lead in the politics, policies, and culture of their society; as such, the in ...
class, or the impoverished educated class. Her mother was a violist who gave up her career to raise a family, which was one thing that drew Kuncewiczowa to music in her early life. She studied music and literature in
Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
,
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
and
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
before she chose a literary vocation. Kuncewiczowa, née Szczepańska, married Jerzy Kuncewicz, a Polish lawyer, writer, and activist, in 1921, and one year later, gave birth to her son, Witold Kuncewicz.


Career in Poland

Kuncewiczowa published her first work, ''Pro Arte et Studio,'' in 1918 under her maiden name. She had published under pseudonyms for the magazine ''Le Lierre''. Kuncewiczowa began working with the Polish
PEN Club PEN International (known as International PEN until 2010) is a worldwide association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere. The association has autonomous Internationa ...
in the early 1920s, publishing translations of major works in foreign languages. Kuncewiczowa remained an active member of the PEN Club for the rest of her life. Kuncewiczowa's major breakout was in 1927 when she published her first collection of short stories, ''Przymierze z Dzieckiem'' (Covenant With a Child), which is a collection that explores birth, motherhood, the connection between a mother and her child. These stories remain true to Kuncewiczowa's later exploration of themes concerning the psychology of women, ideas of femininity, and motherhood. Her second major work, ''Twarz Męzczyzny'' (A Man's Face, 1928), deals with similar issues of femininity, desire, and sexuality. Kuncewiczowa's most popular work is '' Cudzoziemka'' (The Stranger, 1936), which was translated into several foreign languages and quickly gained her national and international recognition. She drew inspiration for this novel from her mother, who gave up her career as a violinist to raise a family. In 1938, she was awarded the Gold Laurel (Złoty Wawrzyn) of the
Polish Academy of Literature The Polish Academy of Literature ( pl, Polska Akademia Literatury, PAL) was one of the most important state institutions of literary life in the Second Polish Republic, operating between 1933 and 1939 with the headquarters in Warsaw. It was foun ...
.


World War II

Kuncewiczowa left Poland with her husband in 1939 after the
German invasion German invasion may refer to: Pre-1900s * German invasion of Hungary (1063) World War I * German invasion of Belgium (1914) * German invasion of Luxembourg (1914) World War II * Invasion of Poland * German invasion of Belgium (1940) * G ...
. Before she left Poland, however, Kuncewiczowa became the first Polish author to publish a radio novel, releasing both ''Dni powszednie państwa Kowalskich'' and ''Kowalscy się odnaleźli'' in 1938. After she left, she traveled to Paris and England, where she wrote ''Klucze'' (The Keys, 1943), a literary diary about her struggles being displaced during World War II. Eventually, Kuncewiczowa and her husband moved to the United States in 1956, where she taught Polish language and literature at the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
. From 1962 to 1968, she lectured at the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
. She spent 1927–1939 and her last years from 1969 in Kazimierz nad Wisłą. From 1970 to 1984, during winter time, she lived in Italy. Kuncewiczowa and her husband moved back to Poland in 1970, where she wrote two autobiographical works, ''Fantomy'' (Phantoms, 1971) and ''Natura'' (Nature, 1972).


Honors

In 1989, the
University of Maria Curie-Sklodowska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
awarded her the title of doctor ''
honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
''.


Selected works

*''Dwa księżyce'', Rój, Warszawa 1933; Warszawa: Prószyński i S-ka, 1999. *'' Cudzoziemka'', 1936; Warszawa : Wydawnictwo Pi, 2013. **''The stranger'', London: Hutchinson International Authors, 1947. * '' Zmowa nieobecnych'' 1946; Warszawa : Instytut Wydawniczy Pax, 1978. ** ''The conspiracy of the absent, a novel.'' New York, Roy, 195- * ''Leśnik'', 1952 ** ''The forester : a novel'', New York : Roy Publishers, 1954. * ''
Gaj oliwny Gaj or GAJ may refer to: Places Croatia *Gaj, Požega-Slavonia County, a village near Lipik * Gaj, Zagreb County, a village near Vrbovec Bosnia and Herzegovina * Gaj (Goražde) * Gaj (Gornji Vakuf) * Gaj (Kiseljak) * Gaj (Nevesinje) * G ...
'', 1961; Lublin : Wydawn. Lubelskie, 1990. * ''
Tristan 1946 Tristan (Latin/ Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; cy, Trystan), also known as Tristram or Tristain and similar names, is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed ...
'', 1967; Bratislava : Tatran, 1972.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuncewiczowa, Maria 1895 births 1989 deaths Writers from Warsaw Polish women writers Golden Laurel of the Polish Academy of Literature Recipients of the State Award Badge (Poland)