Małgorzata Musierowicz
, b. 1945
A writer and graphic designer. Sister of Stanisław Barańczak (famous Polish poet and translator), wife of Bolesław Musierowicz, a Polish architect with whom she has four children; one of her children, Emilia Kiereś is also a writer, translator and editor.
Born January 9, 1945 in Poznań. Małgorzata Musierowicz attended high school in the same city and later the School of Art, where she obtained a degree in graphic design. In the beginning of her career she published essays in the prestigious Polish weekly Tygodnik Powszechny. Her first book was entitled Małomówny i rodzina [Tight-lipped and the Family], 1975. In 1977 she began to write her hugely popular series entitled Jeżycjada [Jeżyciad]. The title was suggested by prof. Zbigniew Raszewski (1925–1992), a Polish theatre historian, on the pattern of the word Iliad (in Polish Iliada): Jeżycjada is an epic about people living in Jeżyce, a district of Poznań.
She also wrote a series of books for small children Bambolandia [Bamboland], 1978–1989, and texts for a famous series in Polish literature for small children Poczytaj mi mamo [Read to Me Mum], 1980–1987. She wrote cookbooks: Całuski pani Darling [Mrs. Darling’s Kisses], 1995; Łasuch literacki [Literary Glutton], 1995; Na Gwiazdkę [For Christmas], 2007; Musierowicz dla zakochanych [Musierowicz for Lovers], 2008; collection of essays Frywolitki [Tatted Lace], 1997–2004, and an autobiography Tym razem serio. Opowieści prawdziwe [This Time For Real. True Tales], 1994. Some of her books were made into movies. She received many literary awards: Złote Koziołki [Golden Billy Goats] for Szósta klepka [Sixth Sense], 1979; Kwiat Kalafiora [The Cauliflower in Flower], 1981, was selected for the Hans Christian Andersen Honour List in 1982; Noelka [Noëlly], 1992, has been announced a Book of the Year by the Polish section of IBBY. In 1994 she was awarded the Order of the Smile (an international award given by children for pro–children activities) and in 2008 she received a medal from IBBY’s Polish section for lifetime achievement. In 2010 Fundacja ABCXXI – Cała Polska czyta dzieciom [Foundation ABCXXI – All of Poland Reads to Kids] gave her a special award for her lifetime achievement. Until recently, she lived in Poznań, now in the countryside near Poznań.
Sources:
Official website (accessed:January 11, 2018).
"Małgorzata Musierowicz", in Nowa Encyklopedia Powszechna, vol. 4: M–P, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, 1996, 338.
Musierowicz, Małgorzata, Tym razem serio. Opowieści prawdziwe, Łódź: Akapit Press, 1994.
Bio prepared by Joanna Kozioł, University of Warsaw, joasia7777@interia.pl
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