The literary picnic of the National Library “Jan Kochanowski’s Name Day” will take place on June 25 in the Krasińskis Garden in Warsaw. The program includes conversations about literature, concerts and a poetry battle with two teams of actors competing in interpretations of poems, and many attractions for children and stands of the most interesting Polish publishing houses.

The heroine of the tenth event will be Maria Konopnicka. On the occasion of the poetess’s year, the researchers of her biography and works will present the most interesting fragments of letters written by Maria Konopnicka to her children and friends, read by Anna Seniuk.

The figure of the poetess will also become a pretext for conversations about beloved childhood books, literary criticism or how is to be a writer today.

Attractions for the youngest readers will be provided by Baj Theater and the ensemble Czereśnie. The Baj Theater will appear with puppets from the show “For blueberries”, and the ensemble Czereśnie will present a repertoire inspired by a songbook for children by Maria Konopnicka and Zygmunt Noskowski.

The National Library announced that there will be regular points on the program: a poetry battle with two teams of actors competing in interpreting poems, a performance of the Klancyk Improvised Theater, the performance of Midsummer’s Song about Sobótka – this time interpreted by Tadeusz Woźniak, or dancing under the stars. Dancing hits from the 1950s and 1960s in contemporary arrangements will be performed by Barbara Wrońska.

Apart from the most interesting participants and observers of Polish literary life – writers, poets, illustrators, literary scholars, journalists and actors – every year, the stands of over sixty publishers will also appear in the Krasiński Garden.

Adrian Andrzejewski