Blog

Teaching Polish as a Foreign Language In February 2014, I went to Kraków, Poland to attend a five day training course in teaching Polish as a Foreign Language. The training was organised by a local language school, GLOSSA and participants could apply for an EU grant, Grundving available for lifelong learning programmes.   At the… Read more Read More...

  There are many myths and legends about the Balkans. The best way to decide which of them are true is, of course, to visit the region yourself. Since I am studying the Serbian language, I have been to Serbia several times. Most recently I stayed in Belgrade for half a year and I had… Read more Read More...

The promising title of this book, although slightly misleading, will definitely attract many aspiring language learners who have struggled in their linguistic endeavours so far. However, is the name of the book an attainable possibility or a mere marketing trick? In a way, it seems to be a little bit of both. Before having read… Read more Read More...

Antonia Lloyd-Jones is a full-time translator of Polish literature, and a double winner of the Found in Translation award. She has translated several works by some of Poland’s leading contemporary novelists, including Paweł Huelle and Olga Tokarczuk. Her most recent publications include Kolyma Diaries, a travel book by Jacek Hugo-Bader (Portobello Books) and Gottland: Mostly… Read more Read More...

Hi, my name’s Dan and I previously spent a short time teaching at Bristol Language School last year. Following a break from teaching, I am now in Peru working at a private language school in the remote town of Chachapoyas in the Andes. It is the capital of the region of Amazonas, but with only… Read more Read More...

Kraków is one of the most fascinating places in Poland. The distinctiveness of the city can best be described by its rich history, beautifully preserved architecture, excellent cuisine and exciting cultural life. As a frequent visitor of Kraków, I want to take you on a walk, where we will visit my favourite places of the… Read more Read More...

Balkan Day: A Celebration of Creativity and Identity, a seminar organised by Istros Books, Wasafiri Literary Magazine, Kingston University and British Library in London was a real feast for both Balkan and book lovers. The programme of the event was divided into two parts: morning and afternoon sessions. During the introduction, Dubravka Ugrešić, a famous… Read more Read More...

I have to admit that The Xenophobe’s Guide to the Poles is one of my favourite guides to Polish-ness. No matter how many times I have read certain passages, I still cannot stop laughing. The little booklet consists of 86 pages divided into 19 chapters and was written by Ewa Lipniacka, a London University graduate,… Read more Read More...

When I first visited Cornwall, I immediately fell in love with its beauty and calmness. I thought that my first impressions were not going to last long and would disappear or become a norm, losing its purity and uniqueness. However, it did not happen. Cornwall surprised me for the second time and proved to be… Read more Read More...

On 12th June the Festival of Ideas at Foyles Bookshop hosted remarkable Syrian writers, Khaled Khalifa and Robin Yassin- Kassab, and a video artist and cinematographer Khalil Younes. The event was a part of the UK tour Syria Speaks. Art and culture from the frontline, which marked the publication of a book with the same… Read more Read More...