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23 February 2026, 19:00
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Foyer of the New Theatre
Partner of the meeting: Stowarzyszenie Tłumaczy Literatury
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Free admission
The meeting will feature translators Kaja Gucio and Justyna Czechowska.
Kaja Gucio and Justyna Czechowska — experienced translators — discuss the complexity of the art of translation, the power of language, collaboration and mutual trust between translators and authors, which are necessary for literature to reach readers around the world. The occasion for the meeting is the premiere of Jennifer Croft’s novel "The Extinction of Irena Rey".
About the book "The Extinction of Irena Rey":
Eight translators arrive from different parts of the world at the home of the famous writer Irena Rey in the Białowieża Forest to work on translations of her opus magnum "The Grey Eminence". After a few days the author suddenly disappears without a trace. The translators, who previously competed for her attention, begin searching while continuing work on the joint project. Step by step they uncover Rey’s secrets and hoaxes, confront cultural differences, sympathies and antipathies, and isolated from the world, they fall into obsession and paranoia.
This is a hilarious and thought‑provoking debut novel by Jennifer Croft — a brilliant study of the creative process, the cult of fame, interpersonal relationships and the power of language.
About Jennifer Croft:
Jennifer Croft was born in the United States and studied comparative literature and linguistics. She is fluent in, among others, Polish, Spanish and Ukrainian. She is a recognized literary translator and author, known among other things for translating Olga Tokarczuk’s "Flights" — the translator and author were jointly awarded the International Booker Prize. Croft also received a Guggenheim Fellowship for "The Extinction of Irena Rey." She is involved in activities to increase the visibility of literary translators.
About the translators:
Illustration for the series: Jarosław Danilenko.
