Poland as Guest of Honor
at BookExpo America (BEA) 2016
CHICAGO (McCormick Place), MAY 11-13, 2016

The prominent showcase of Polish book industry at BEA (the largest book fair in North America) was a great celebration of Polish writers and publishers.  In addition to educational sessions and exhibits held as part of the BEA,  the Polish Book Institute and the Polish Cultural Institute New York hosted a series of meetings "Books from Poland" with some of the most interesting Polish writers and literary artists as well as prominent members of the Chicago literary community.

The series opened on May 10, 2016 with the "Discovering Poland" event including the presentation ceremony of 2016 Found in Translation Award going this year to Bill Johnston for his translation of Twelve Stations, an epic, book-length poem by Polish contemporary poet and translator, Tomasz Różycki.

Click here for the FULL SCHEDULE of the "Books from Poland" events that took place at various Chicago venues on May 10-14, 2016.

The largest US-based publisher of books on Polish themes, Aquila Polonica Publishing, also organized a series of adjunct events and prepared for the occasion an invaluable CATALOGUE OF BOOKS ABOUT POLAND published recently in English.

The "Outstanding Pole" award
for the PHC member

Professor Wacław Szybalski, the honorary member of the Polish Heritage Club of Wisconsin-Madison, has received the "Outstanding Pole" (Wybitny Polak) statuette after winning the title in 2012. The award ceremony took place on May 4, 2016 during reception commemorating the Constitution of May 3, 1791  and held in the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York City.

As it became already an ingrained patriotic tradition, prof. Szybalski stressed in his letter read on the occasion that he accepts the award in honor of the royal, capital, Polish city of Lwów where he was born and spent his formative years (click here to read the letter).

During the same ceremony, the commemorative statuettes received also the 2016 winners of the "Outstanding Pole" title in the New York region. In this and other regions, the title is awarded annually in five categories: Science, Culture, Business, Personality and the "Young Pole."

The “Outstanding Pole” Competition has been established in 2010 by the Polish Promotional Emblem Foundation “Poland Now” (Fundacja Polskiego Godła Promocyjnego "Teraz Polska "). to recognize, promote and popularize the achievements and successes of Poles at home and abroad.

The international edition of the contest started in 2011 to include also Poles living beyond Poland's boundaries (about 1/4 of all Poles) and all people cultivating Polish heritage. Currently, the competition takes place in the USA, UK, Austria, France, Holland and Norway. But as its popularity grows, new regions join the contest.

In the United States, the competition has expanded last year from the New York and Chicago regions to the West Coast. The contest's organizer is Pangea Network USA an organization aiming to help young professionals develop business acumen through power networking.