The new Przybyszewski: an 11-volume edition of his "Dzieła literackie" from the perspective of a scholarly editor

Abstract

The article was written by the scholarly editor of the 11-volume edition of Stanisław Przybyszewski’s Dzieła literackie [Literary works], in which the author sets out the principles behind the edition, describes the work involved from the perspective of the person responsible for ensuring its overall coherence, and shares her own experiences of working on the publication (the author prepared three volumes). Mention is also made here of an earlier, incomplete edition by “Lektor”, as well as Russian and German collected publications of Przybyszewski’s works. The author explains why it is worthwhile or necessary to publish Przybyszewski’s writings and then provides a concise account of the work involved in the edition, beginning with the initial stage – the drafting of detailed editorial guidelines to ensure uniformity and consistency. The principles adopted for the edition are set out, along with the reasons for opting for a combination of a type A scholarly edition and a type B educational edition. It has been pointed out that the edition is based on the traditional model, in which literary texts are preceded by a historical-literary introduction, the works are accompanied by commentaries, and the editor’s notes are included in a critical appendix; however, it also goes beyond this model by introducing new approaches that make it reader-friendly. The text contains a range of information concerning comparisons between Polish and German versions of the works; it recounts discoveries, mysteries and investigations; it outlines successes in elucidating annotations and gaps; and it discusses the role of the academic editor, reviewers and the publisher in the process of its creation, etc.