Aleksandra Witkowska (Danecka)
[Stephen Farlough] , b. 1945
Aleksandra Danecka, née Witkowska, born on May 2, 1945, in Warsaw, is a translator of Arabic poetry and author of historical monographs, novels, radio plays, and hundreds of other literary, scholarly and popular academic publications, as well as a painter. Many of her works were published under her maiden name.
Witkowska worked also for the Instytut Książki i Czytelnictwa [The Polish Book and Readership Institute] (1969–1974), the monthly Prezentacje (1984–1988), the children’s magazine Płomyczek (1988–1989), and since 1992, for the Polish Television. Her early publications include topics from library science; also — jointly with the Arabist Janusz Danecki — she published several translations of classical Arabic literary texts (for example Ibn Hazm’s Ring of the Dove, 1976, or al–Hamadāni’s Maqamat, 1989). In 1989, she wrote a history of the Arabs for children entitled Synowie pustyni [Sons of the Desert]. The book is an attempt to present history in a way that differs significantly from the textbook narrative. The aim was to encourage children to read other books on the subject. In 1993, using the pen-name Stephen Farlough, she published a book about the classical and medieval history of homoeroticism, entitled Inna miłość. Opowieści o znanych i nieznanych homoseksualistach [A Different Love. Tales of Known and Unknown Gays]. The Polish Radio aired a few of her plays; for one of them — Tajemnica Królowej Saby [The Mystery of the Queen of Sheba] 1985, she also received an award in a Polish Radio’s Channel Four Competition. Her articles in periodicals are devoted to the translation of poetry as well as the popularization of history and classical literature. A couple of years ago she started painting, trying her hand at portraits, landscapes and still lives. She is still developing her own style as a painter.
Based on material kindly provided by the Author.
Bio prepared by Joanna Kłos, University of Warsaw, joanna.klos@student.uw.edu.pl
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