Literature

In these two extracts from the novel “Will You Still Love Me Yesterday?”, pensioners Grażyna and Ludwik plan a night of passion for the 50th anniversary of their first sexual encounter, before waking up in surprisingly different bodies. Zygmunt Miłoszewski

In this extract from “The Birds They Sang”, Stanisław Łubieński explores the origins of James Bond’s name, which – surprisingly enough – was borrowed from an American ornithologist. Stanisław Łubieński

1967, the Polish People’s Republic. An upstanding officer of the Citizen’s Militia, one Sergeant Teofil Olkiewicz, is sent to a metalworks to investigate the theft of a drill. He might come back with more than he’s expecting... Ryszard Ćwirlej

When Professor Tamura moved to Warsaw with his wife, he wanted only one thing: to study the local springtails. A fictional crime story with a zoological twist. Joanna Rudniańska

In a distant future, Candace Laguarde has run out of the pharmaceutic Femper. If she doesn’t get some more soon, who knows what will happen… A short story by an American author. Mitchell Atkinson III

In the first translation of Bolesław Leśmian’s classic children’s book “The Adventures of Sindbad the Seafarer”, the eponymous character discovers that he has been usurped by a doppelgänger... Bolesław Leśmian

One day, the Head Assistant of Dental Medicine finds himself in Tirana for a dentistry conference. Little does he know that he will find his late father, too. A short story by a Bulgarian writer. Olya Stoyanova

In this excerpt from Czech writer Radka Denemarková’s novel “A Contribution to the History of Joy”, we join a policeman as he investigates the scene of the death of a wealthy businessman in Prague. The facts suggest a suicide, but not all is as it seems... Radka Denemarková

In this short story based on true events that took place in Kielce in 1946, we join a militiaman, a baker, a cobbler and a caretaker in a pub, as they talk about honesty. Jacek Dehnel

One day, Jan Radecki, a doctoral student in neuroscience, discovers the opportunity to apply for a grant from the Ministry of War for an ambitious project involving mirror neurons. Will his project get the funding? And is the project itself ethical? Michał Sosiński

What is happiness? In this short story, a film critic searches for the answer to this evergreen question while recounting an anecdote about an Oscar-winning Polish director who seems very familiar... Wojciech Engelking

In this excerpt from an autobiographical novel by Wioletta Greg, we time-travel to Poland in the 1990s, where the book’s protagonist finds herself once again homeless and despairing in the streets of Częstochowa on New Year’s Eve. Wioletta Greg

Sometimes the dreams in which we find ourselves are more vivid than the realities from which we have just arrived… A short story from one of Poland’s finest writers of the form. Kornel Filipowicz

A short story not only for children. Łukasz Kaniewski

A short story involving a hip café, heartache, and large lush plants, written by one of our regular contributors. Julia Fiedorczuk

Haunted by its dreams, a young child is taken to the Ginkgo, where a wise teacher awaits it… A short story set after the Anthropocene epoch, on a green hill beyond the rusty mountains. Joanna Rudniańska

In this excerpt from one of Piotr Paziński’s short stories, Pan Abram leads a mysterious search for a lost literary manuscript and its legendary author in what was once the heart of Jewish Warsaw, characterized by its ‘Bird Streets’. Piotr Paziński

Woe betide the train passengers if The Sloven strikes them. This sweaty, grimy demon always heralds disaster. Will it appear again today on the route to Gron? We present a chilling story, written by the father of Polish fantasy, Stefan Grabiński. Stefan Grabiński