He named a top 10 list of Polish novels for the Guardian.
Here is part of his introduction, followed by one title on the list:
Poland has made a significant contribution to world culture, not least in the field of literature. I first visited the country in 1998 and was amazedRead about all ten books on Hopkin's list.by the reverence shown to writers and books - so much so, in fact, that I later moved there to write my first novel....
A Minor Apocalypse by Tadeusz Konwicki (Dalkey Archive Press)
A classic, dark satire of communist times in which a struggling writer is asked to set fire to himself, by way of protest, in front of the hideous Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw. In an 'age of sorcerers and soothsayers dying away, all those prophets and messiahs who failed to save the world', Konwicki steps in to offer a little magic, a little poetry and a little guidance in a grim totalitarian world.
Visit James Hopkin's website.
--Marshal Zeringue
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