On 6 September 2025, the Szabó Lőrinc Foreign Language Library in Miskolc was once again filled with the spirit of literature as the Polish Nationality Self-Government of Miskolc and the library jointly organized the city’s annual Polish National Reading Day. Once again, the event invited participants to celebrate the richness of Polish literature together.
The programme opened with welcoming remarks by Mónika Szabó, President of the Polish Nationality Self-Government of Miskolc. The official opening address was then delivered by writer and civic affairs expert Zoltán Reiman, whose presence honoured the occasion.
/Zoltán Reiman/
This year’s central figure was Jan Kochanowski, one of the most distinguished poets of the Polish Renaissance. His life and literary achievements were presented by Erika Szűcsné Agócs, followed by readings of his poetry in several different languages.
The audience first heard Kochanowski’s works in their original Polish. Zsuzsa Czaga read Na zdrowie (“To Health”), while Tamara Bárkányi presented Na lipę (“To the Linden Tree”). The poems were then performed in Hungarian by Katalin Kékes and Ádám Bartók.
One of the unique features of the programme was that, alongside Kochanowski’s poetry, works by other authors were also included. Following a reading by Péter Kusztván, Erika Pálfi recited poems by the renowned Hungarian Renaissance poet Janus Pannonius. Kochanowski’s works then returned to the programme, this time in Italian. Twentieth-century Hungarian poetry was represented by Ivett Orosz, who performed László Benjámin’s poem Spring in Hungary, while the audience also had the opportunity to hear a poem in Arabic.
The atmosphere of the Renaissance was further enhanced by readings from the works of Jan Kochanowski and the Hungarian poet Bálint Balassi, performed by Péter Bárkányi and Ágnes Tumikné Csurák. This was followed by Vazul Csaba Éles, who presented Kochanowski’s poem On Health in English. The programme also included another Hungarian reading by Katalin Kékes, who shared excerpts from Apró-cseprők (Odds and Ends).
The event concluded with a special bilingual performance by Mónika Szabó, who recited Kochanowski’s poem Do snu (To Sleep) in both Polish and Hungarian.
At the end of the programme, all participants received commemorative certificates before gathering for a reception, where informal conversations and shared experiences provided a fitting conclusion to the day.
The event’s central message was clear: literature connects us across every language—bridging past and present, Poles and Hungarians, communities and friends.
Written by: Mónika Szabó
Photographs: Mónika Szabó and Péter Bárkányi
