Wisława Szymborska

Wisława Szymborska (1923–2012) was a Polish poet, essayist and translator. Born in Bnin (now part of Kórnik) near Poznań, she made her poetic debut in 1945 and lived in Kraków, where she worked for literary journals such as Życie Literackie and translated older French poetry. Her poetry, known for its plain, personal language and ironic precision, addressed existential questions, and she was awarded the 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature.

July 2, 1923