Galway will mark National Polish Independence day with a series of events on Saturday and Sunday, including a celebration of the life and work of Joseph Conrad, a Polish national regarded as one of the greatest novelists to write in the English language.
As a response to the announcement by the Polish government that 2017 was the Year of Joseph Conrad, the Bardzo Ladnie Foundation, with the support of Cúirt International Festival of Literature and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, will run a series of events to celebrate his life and works.
The weekend begins with the opening of Conrad – Passenger of Nostromo, in the Galway City Library at 4pm on Saturday, followed by children’s workshops in The Cornstore where there will be a selection of Polish food and drinks. The exhibition will showcases Conrad’s influence on modern culture, as seen in such film adaptations such as Victory and Apocalypse Now, and in songs by Bob Dylan. In Charlie Byrne's Bookshop at 6.30pm, there will be readings from Joseph Conrad’s works, in English and Polish. All ages are welcome.
On Sunday at 6pm The Black Gate Cultural Centre will screen Apocalypse Now. Regarded as one of the all time great films, it is heavily inspired by Conrad’s famous story Heart of Darkness. The events conclude with a music session in The Crane Bar at 9.30pm. Conrad spent many years as a master mariner in the British merchant navy, so the session will feature sea songs from Polish and Irish artists.