Karolina Kusek (born on July 19, 1940 in Tarnopol, lives in Wrocław) – a poet, journalist, author of epigrams, aphorisms, “words of wisdom” and lyrics. She is a graduate of the Music School (violin class) in Wrocław, the Faculty of Polish Studies of the Wrocław University and the Maria Grzegorzewska Pedagogical University. She worked for the Ossoliński National Institute in Wrocław and then as a columnist in ,,Słowo Polskie” and ,,Słowo Powszechne” dailies.
She made her debut with a poem titled “Off with you, rocket” in 1970 in a children`s magazine ,,Miś”. In 1982 she published a collection of poems for children titled “Sunflower`s Notes”.
She authored 28 collections of poems, mostly for children and about children, such as: “On the Earth and above”, “Through the fields walking”, “Colors of summer”, “Your words”, “With granny hand in hand”, “My landscapes”, “Painted with the sun”, “Glimpses of our childhood”, “Towards the sun”, “Down an inky track”, “Following the heart”, “My gaze embraced the world of a child”, “The children of Mars” and many other.
She is an author of a poetic version of “Nutcracker” according to Hoffmann for the ballet premiere in the Wrocław Opera House, and also a stage drama “Mysterious shadow” “A watercan full of tears”.
Karolina Kusek is a great advocate of children`s rights, because, as she says, the CHILD is the greatest good and hope for the world, deserving respect, dignified childhood, love and development. In her poetry she has been focusing on the child’s world: its life, experience, emotions. She shows the world seen through the child’s eyes, which is very often different from how the adults see it. In numerous poems she recalls the time of the war and the unimaginable tragedy suffered by children.
Her artistic work is a particular testament of memory and a message for future generations. Through her work the poet both appeals to the adults to pay attention to the problems and tragedies suffered by children in the contemporary world, and addresses children trying to guide their sensitivity towards beauty, solidity and frailty of the world, the wisdom of eternal natural laws, with a human being its inseparable part.
Many poems written by Karolina Kusek have been published in pedagogical magazines as well as in national and regional press, children`s poetry anthologies and school and pre-school textbooks.
Kusek`s poetry has been translated into many foreign languages including English, Chinese, Czech, Esperanto, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Italian etc.
Karolina Kusek won numerous awards: ,,Nagroda Pracy Organicznej” im. Marii Konopnickiej (Maria Konopnicka’s Organic Work Award), ,,Nagroda Literacka” im. Klemensa Janickiego (Klemens Janicki’s Literary Award), the ,,Feniks’ statuette (Tadeusz Miciński’s expressionistic award), Hipolit Cegielski’s ,,Labor Omnia Vincit” - silver medal, and ,,Homer” - the European Medal of Poetry and Art. She is also a multiple winner of the Influential Lower Silesia Woman Plebiscite, and the finalist of the 2017 and 2019 edition of the Personality of the Year Plebiscite. In 2018 Karolina Kusek won the 3rd place in the 20th Anniversary Most Influential Lower Silesia Woman Plebiscite which was organized solely for media representatives (editors in chief, editors of sections, critics, experts and photojournalists).
For many years schools and libraries all over Poland have been organizing literary competitions dedicated to her work along with artistic exhibitions and performances inspired by her work.
