The editions and reeditions of books by Witold Wirpsza

Abstract

The article analyses first editions and re-editions of poetry, prose and essay writing by Witold Wirpsza. It also includes (in certain respect) the translations of his works published in the German language. Wirpsza’s art of writing due to the author’s emigration after 1971 was excluded from the official national circulation, nevertheless it appeared in the underground circulation as well as in German and emigratory publishing houses. After 1989, Wirpsza’s works found their way to the Polish reader only in the first fifteen years of the 21st century when Instytut Mikołowski re-released (sometimes with editorial changes) his works and started to publish his manuscripts. Therefore, another stage of remembrance about the poet and writer was initiated; it consisted in the publishing of his letters and poetic, essayistic and journalistic texts. Gathered facts and editorial observations point out that full bibliographic arrangements as well as the analysis of published and unpublished texts by Wirpsza, together with the survey of his archival materials, laid the foundations for achieving the goal which is a complete and critical edition of works by this remarkable poet and writer. Wirpsza’s short stories, dramatic works, journalistic texts and letters, especially emigratory, are still awaiting editing and re-editing.