Paulina Wilk
is Editor of the Culture & Society section, as well as a writer and journalist focusing on global development. Among others, she has published the non-fiction books “Lalki w ogniu” (Dolls on Fire: Stories from Modern India) and “Pojutrze. O miastach przyszłości (After Tomorrow: On Future Cities). She has also written a series of fairy-tales about a teddy bear called Kazimierz. She is the co-creator of the “Kultura nie boli” foundation, the bookshop, café and literary space Big Book Café, and the Big Book Festival.
Czytaj
Getting Bogged Down
Mind the climate
Getting Bogged Down
Protecting Estonia’s Natural Treasure
Magazine / society
The boglands of Estonia store water, cultivate biodiversity, and help regulate the climate. To ensure a sustainable future, they must be protected.
Czytaj
Be Kind and Be Well
Be Kind and Be Well
The Healing Powers of Kindness
Magazine / society
Claudia Hammond, a British author and radio broadcaster, discusses how altruism exists cross-culturally and how kindness affects the brain.
Czytaj
Before It All Begins
Before It All Begins
Life at the Crack of Dawn
Magazine / society
From Kenya to Peru, India to Korea, sunrise brings with it different kinds of beginnings—across rainforests, beaches, and metropolises.
Czytaj
Alleyways of Trust
Alleyways of Trust
The Aleppo of Old
Magazine / society
The Syrian capital—built as a social network of streets and souks—was torn apart by the civil war. Yet slowly, the city is opening up once again.
Czytaj
Shed Your Skin
Shed Your Skin
A Tribute to Change
Magazine / culture
In his latest book “The Last White Man,” novelist Mohsin Hamid crafts a meditation on how external transformation can lead to an internal metamorphosis.
Czytaj
Well-Asked Questions
Well-Asked Questions
A Novel Approach to Economics
Magazine / society
Nobel Prize laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit V. Banarjee suggest that in order to address pressing world issues such as poverty, scholars must steer clear of generalization.
Czytaj
A Beautiful Mind
A Beautiful Mind
The Life of Rabindranath Tagore
Magazine / culture
The great Bengali polymath was an intellectual giant; a poet, thinker, social reformer, and much more, who reshaped the culture of his homeland.
Czytaj
Where Trees Devour Houses
Where Trees Devour Houses
The Winds of Change in Kolkata
Magazine / society
The capital of West Bengal is a young city that appears unable to escape the memory of a more prosperous past. Yet slowly but surely, Kolkata is changing.
Czytaj
The Truest Fiction
The Truest Fiction
A Spoke in the Wheel of Modernity
Magazine / culture
In his latest novel “Elizabeth Finch,” British author Julian Barnes blends fact and fiction to create a compelling critique of contemporary understandings of the past.
Czytaj
Sleep Well
healthy living
Sleep Well
Twelve Tips for a Good Night’s Rest
Magazine / society
Falling asleep at regular times and for regular periods is essential for mental and physical wellbeing. There are a number of ways to encourage it.
Czytaj
Ecstasy through Logic
Ecstasy through Logic
The Radical Optimism of Bertrand Russell
Magazine / science
The British philosopher was both a rebel and pacifist—and one who maintained his convictions and hopes for humanity until the day he died.
Czytaj
Anywhere Will Do
Anywhere Will Do
The Art of Serendipitous Travel
Magazine / society
When traveling it is best to leave some space—both mentally and physically—to increase the odds of a magical happy coincidence happening.
Czytaj
The Many Faces of Decency
The Many Faces of Decency
An Interview About Moral Norms
Magazine / society
Professor of Ethics Paweł Łuków talks about moral norms, what it means to be decent, and how we can relate this to our own behaviour and that of others.
Czytaj
Through Storm and Drought
Through Storm and Drought
The Life of Edith and Frederic Clements
Magazine / science
Edith and Frederic Clements were early pioneers in ecology and the holistic approach to nature – yet their work has not been fully appreciated until recently.
Czytaj
The Apostle of (Inner) Peace
The Apostle of (Inner) Peace
The Life of Thích Nhất Hạnh
Magazine / society
Thích Nhất Hạnh, the spiritual father of mindfulness, lived a remarkable life focused on empathy, forgiveness, and peace.
Czytaj
Better Not to Cross the Dreamer
Better Not to Cross the Dreamer
The Revolutionary Economist
Magazine / society
The revolutionary economist Mariana Mazzucato proposes a shift away from profit and big business – and towards state investment in the societies they serve.
Czytaj
Leo’s Last Roar
Leo’s Last Roar
The Life of Sophia and Leo Tolstoy
Magazine / culture
Leo Tolstoy and his wife Sophia both loved and tormented each other. How did the troubled Russian writer live his last few months?
Czytaj
All Quiet on the Eastern Front
All Quiet on the Eastern Front
An Interview with Elena Kostyuchenko
Magazine / culture
Journalist and activist Elena Kostyuchenko talks about the dangers of her investigative journalism, the new Russia, and why she will always struggle to leave the country of her birth.
Czytaj
A Time of Gentleness
A Time of Gentleness
Turkish Writer Ece Temelkuran On Hope
Magazine / society
The journalist, author, and activist talks about the political power of gentleness amid growing global fascism.
Czytaj
The Fig Tree Remembers
The Fig Tree Remembers
A Lesson in Co-Existence
Magazine / culture
In her latest book “The Island of Missing Trees”, novelist Elif Shafak gives voice to a fig tree, raising pertinent questions about borders and belonging.
Czytaj
An Open Home, A Wandering Home
An Open Home, A Wandering Home
Living in Poverty
Magazine / society
A home is not simply a place of residence; it is part of one’s identity. What does the concept of home mean for those living in poverty?
Czytaj
Paulina
Wilk
Wilk
What Lies Beyond the City
Reading / society
There is one thing I owe to the pandemic. The refreshing thought that the city is not indispensable. I bid farewell to the thought of it as an exclusive synonym for the future.
Czytaj
Demand Change!
Demand Change!
Inspiring Our Youngest Generation
Magazine / society
Naomi Klein’s latest book “How to Change Everything” (co-written with Rebecca Stefoff) is an inspirational guide, sure to spur the youngest generation to environmental action.
Czytaj
Nobody Home
Nobody Home
There’s Nothing Wrong with Migration
Reading / culture
In her latest book “The Next Great Migration”, American science journalist Sonia Shah presents an evidenced picture of how migration has always been with us – for the better.
Czytaj
A Heat Storm Is Coming
A Heat Storm Is Coming
An Unheard Literary Voice
Reading / culture
In her debut novel “We Are All Birds of Uganda”, lawyer Hafsa Zayyan tells a nuanced story of memory and identity, representing the voice of Asian Africans in literature.
Czytaj
A Discreet Genius
A Discreet Genius
The Life of Ervin László
Magazine / society
The Hungarian Ervin László was originally a classical pianist, before later becoming a philosopher of science and advocate of quantum consciousness.
Czytaj
A Time of Revolt
A Time of Revolt
An Interview with Nadav Eyal
Magazine / society
Israeli journalist Nadav Eyal – author of the book “Revolt: The Worldwide Uprising Against Globalization” – talks about the crisis of globalization and the ongoing revolt against it.
Czytaj
If There Was No Tomorrow
If There Was No Tomorrow
The Woes of the Japanese Youth
Magazine / society
Faced with a stagnant economy and a demographic crisis, Japanese youth prefer not to think about the future. Instead, they live day-by-day.
Czytaj
Paulina
Wilk
Wilk
We’ll Always Have Ourselves
Reading / society
Given the year we’ve had, it’s easy to feel hopeless. Our writer – recovering from a certain illness – offers some positive reflections.
Czytaj
Bright Soul
Healthy Living
Bright Soul
The Life of Peter Deunov
Magazine / society
The philosopher and spiritual teacher Peter Deunov – also known as Beinsa Douno – was loved by Einsten, Gandhi, and a great deal of his fellow Bulgarians.
Czytaj
Growth Is Killing Us
Mind the climate
Growth Is Killing Us
An Interview with Jason Hickel
Magazine / society
Economic anthropologist Jason Hickel talks about the pitfalls of growth, and how we can pursue an economic model that protects human wellbeing and the environment.
Czytaj
Sharing Is Caring
Sharing Is Caring
Lessons of the Polish Backyard
Magazine / society
Growing up in late communist Poland may have meant lacking material goods, but the sustainable mentality it promoted can teach us something today.
Czytaj
Out of America
Out of America
A Tale from the Second Generation
Reading / culture
In his latest novel “Homeland Elegies”, American playwright and author Ayad Akhtar crafts a tale of the complexities of being a second generation citizen in 21st-century America.
Czytaj
The Unhurried Chronicler of Souls
The Unhurried Chronicler of Souls
A Portrait of Svetlana Alexievich
Reading / society
The work of Belarusian writer and Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich is characterized by her enduring patience and willingness to listen to people’s truths.
Czytaj
In Search of Wild Bliss
In Search of Wild Bliss
Food in Nature
Magazine / society
In contemporary society, we are increasingly disconnected from the origin of the food on our plates. But is it even possible to eat wild?
Czytaj
Sister Florence Turns On the Light
Sister Florence Turns On the Light
The Life of Florence Nightingale
Magazine / culture
Florence Nightingale was the pre-eminent pioneer of nursing. Her biography is equally remarkable, as a professional woman in Victorian Britain.
Czytaj
Don’t Be Rubbish, Be a Pearl!
Don’t Be Rubbish, Be a Pearl!
The Era of Fake News
Magazine / culture
We live in an era of disinformation; where ‘fake news’ and ‘alternative facts’ have quickly established themselves in the common language. What can we do about this?
Czytaj
Kind by Nature
Kind by Nature
Have Faith in Humanity
Reading / culture
In his latest book “Humankind: A Hopeful History”, Dutch historian Rutger Bregman deconstructs the idea of humanity as inherently evil to paint a much more optimistic portrait of human nature.
Czytaj
Paulina
Wilk
Wilk
We’re No Longer There
Reading / society
As travel has become more accessible, it has also become more trivialized; an act of event tourism. Will the pandemic change this?
Czytaj
The Lost Art of Rest
healthy living
The Lost Art of Rest
How to Relax
Magazine / society
Smartphones, laptops and the capitalist work culture mean that it is increasingly hard to switch off. What activities provide us with the most rest?
Czytaj
Flying to Oz
Flying to Oz
An Unpredictable Future
Magazine / society
In a time of unpredictability, it might be best to meet the cyclone head on – and break out of the confines of the status quo.
Czytaj
Of Memes and Old Men
Of Memes and Old Men
The Ethics of the Youth
Magazine / society
Older generations may mock and patronize the youth, yet it is the younger generations’ new ethics of gentleness that we could all learn from.
Czytaj
Bathing in Trees
Bathing in Trees
A Natural Therapy
Magazine / society
Green spaces – such as forests, parks and fields – have a positive effect on our health and wellbeing, enabling us to cleanse ourselves of the dirt of modern existence.
Czytaj
“Przekrój” for Beginners
“Przekrój” for Beginners
A History of the Magazine
Magazine / culture
“Przekrój” revisits the story of our magazine – from a cramped tenement block in post-war Kraków, to the relaunched and revitalized quarterly in modern-day Warsaw.
Czytaj
Days of the Gods
Days of the Gods
12 Holidays from the Indian Calendar
Magazine / culture
Naturally – for such a large country with such religious and ethnic diversity – the Indian calendar is quite different to ours in Europe. Here’s a list of all the Indian holidays you always wanted to know about, but were afraid to ask.
Czytaj
When Adults Play Children
When Adults Play Children
The Genius of Walt Disney
Magazine / society
The success of Walt Disney’s amusement park lay in his ability to craft nostalgia and imagination for both children and adults. In this respect, he was a visionary.
Czytaj
Hungry for a Good Life
Hungry for a Good Life
An Interview with Carolyn Steel
Magazine / society
Architect and food visionary Carolyn Steel talks about a culinary approach to a good life, the future of farming, and the importance of sharing food and meals.
Czytaj
The Republic of Friendship
The Republic of Friendship
Closeness on the Margins
Magazine / Review
In her latest book “10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World”, Turkish novelist Elif Shafak tells the story of Tequila Leila – seemingly a nobody, but with a group of five misfit friends who seem to transcend life itself.
Czytaj
A Book a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
A Book a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
Top 10 Books for a Pandemic
Reading / culture
You are stuck at home. The potatoes, groats and onions are all bought. You have oceans of time, so… read! Here are 10 books to help you extract a little sense and joy from quarantine.
Czytaj
Element of Equilibrium
Element of Equilibrium
Lithium and Mental Health
Reading / culture
In his recent book “Lithium: A Doctor, a Drug, and a Breakthrough”, psychiatrist Walter A. Brown gives an overview of lithium – the drug that has proved to be especially useful for those experiencing bipolar disorder.
Czytaj
The Himalayan Super Express
The Himalayan Super Express
The Story of Nirmal Purja
Magazine / society
In 2019, a Nepalese man set off on ‘Project Possible’ – a plan to ascend all 14 eight-thousander mountains in seven months. In the end, he exceeded all expectations.
Czytaj
As Loud as Possible
As Loud as Possible
Urban Noise Pollution
Magazine / society
When was the last time that you were truly surrounded by silence? City life is inevitably always accompanied by noise, and it’s a growing problem for our health.
Czytaj
A Tiger Won’t Look You in The Eye
A Tiger Won’t Look You in The Eye
The Shifting Tides of Sundarbans
Magazine / society
At the confluence of three rivers in the Bay of Bengal, the Sundarbans mangrove forest grows. A beautiful place, yet with rising tides and Bengal tigers, life here is unstable.
Czytaj
The Trouble with Too Many Bodies
The Trouble with Too Many Bodies
Contemporary Cemetery Solutions
Reading / society
As the global population continues to grow, an uncomfortable question arises: where do we find the space to continue storing the deceased?
Czytaj
And Now, I Will Disappear!
And Now, I Will Disappear!
The Final Years of Tiziano Terzani
Magazine / culture
When he was 59 years old, the great Italian journalist and writer Tiziano Terzani was diagnosed with cancer. Rather than heralding the end, it sparked a new chapter in his life.
Czytaj
The Nine-Mouthed River
The Nine-Mouthed River
Life in the Mekong Delta
Magazine / society
In southern Vietnam, a vast maze of rivers, swamps and islands is home to 20 million people, most of whom rely on the water for their everyday activities and livelihoods. Yet newly-built dams and the imminent climate catastrophe could soon change all of this.
Czytaj
Paulina
Wilk
Wilk
The Girls with Pigtails
Reading / feuilleton
On 14th June 2019, 13-year-old Inga Zasowska started her climate strike outside the Polish parliament. It’s children like Inga and Greta Thunberg who can bring us hope – if only we would listen to them.
Czytaj
You’ll See When the Rain Comes
Mind the climate
You’ll See When the Rain Comes
A Journey to the Source of the Nile
Magazine / society
The Nile river eventually flows into the Mediterranean Sea, but has more humble origins. One such source is the Blue Nile at Lake Tana in Ethiopia, where water can be in short supply for large parts of the year.
Czytaj
What Can Greta Do?
Mind the climate
What Can Greta Do?
The Urgent Ascent of a Climate Activist
Magazine / society
Today, Greta Thunberg is an icon of the battle against global warming. The unassuming 16-year-old has brought impetus to a worldwide youth movement, but what comes next?
Czytaj
A Foundation That’s Falling Apart
A Foundation That’s Falling Apart
Our Dangerous Over-Reliance on Sand
Magazine / society
Sand is a basic ingredient of modern life, most notably as a component of concrete buildings. Our consumption of sand is growing by 10% a year, bringing with it dire ecological consequences.
Zobacz
What Are You Reading, Mr President? ♫
Media / Audio
We imagine a world in which politicians read books, leading to a greater capacity for imagination, truth, and caring for the country. Original publication by Paulina Wilk.
Czytaj
Ten Feet Under
Ten Feet Under
The Gold Rush in Peru’s Amazon Basin
Reading / society
The Madre de Dios region has seen a relentless stream of illegal gold mining. This is taking its toll not only on the Amazonian rainforest, but also on the area’s inhabitants.
Czytaj
Energy Travels Vertically
Energy Travels Vertically
The Life of Paramahansa Yogananda
Magazine / society
In the summer of 1920, a young Indian swami boarded a ship from Bombay to Boston. The yogi’s spiritual teachings went on to change the lives of millions.
Zobacz
Energy Travels Vertically ♫
Media / Audio
In the summer of 1920, a young Indian swami boarded a ship from Bombay to Boston. The yogi’s spiritual teachings went on to change the lives of millions. Original text by Paulina Wilk. Read by Konstancja Dangel. Translated by Mark Ordon.
Czytaj
Paulina
Wilk
Wilk
What Are You Reading, Mr President?
Reading / society
We imagine a world in which politicians read books, leading to a greater capacity for imagination, truth, and caring for the country.
Czytaj
The Monsoon Empire
The Monsoon Empire
A Journey Through the Indian Rain
Magazine / society
In monsoon season, India is governed by the irrepressible rhythms of water. The rain brings destruction, but it also brings an abundance of life.
Czytaj
The Aristocracy of Crumbling Sands
The Aristocracy of Crumbling Sands
Wilfred Thesiger’s Journeys Through Arabia
Reading / society
Wilfred Thesiger spent years travelling with Bedouins across the vast, harsh Arabian deserts. His journeys are an example to those seeking to practise sustainable tourism today.
Czytaj
The Transatlantic Is Losing Steam
The Transatlantic Is Losing Steam
The Shifting Geopolitics of Atlantic Waters
Reading / society
In an age of profound political and climate change, might transoceanic power soon shift to the Global South?
Czytaj
Endless Cities
Endless Cities
The Irresistible Rise of Mass Urbanization
Magazine / society
Cities are growing at an incredible rate, forming more and more clusters and conurbations. This, however, might not be such a bad thing.
Czytaj
Sleepless Cities
Sleepless Cities
The Compression of Time
Magazine / society
Sleep is the last bastion of rest. Yet a glance at the world’s major urban centers suggests that in the future, humans may increasingly be forced into constant wakefulness.
Czytaj
Challenging Cities
Challenging Cities
Visions of Urban Utopia
Magazine / science
Utopian visions of future cities are often bold and exciting, yet for various reasons, these ambitious designs rarely realize their full potential.