Barbara Sieroszewska i kulisy pracy tłumaczki w świetle archiwaliów Państwowego Instytutu Wydawniczego

Barbara Sieroszewska (1904–1989) ranks among the leading postwar translators of Italian literature who played a signifi cant role in shaping its canon in Poland. Her translations, highly regarded by contemporary critics (cf. Kasiński 1958: 743; Adamski 1962: 1290; Kralowa 1968: 1688; Żukrowski 1971: 1358), continue to be successfully reissued and frequently appear on theatre stages. Despite her impressive output – 76 titles translated independently from Italian and 10 in collaborative translations (from Italian and, in two cases, from French) – Sieroszewska has only recently become the focus of translation studies scholarship (Nicewicz 2025a). In exploring the realities of Sieroszewska’s translational work, the archives of the Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy (State Publishing Institute) have proven to be a valuable source. The translator collaborated with the publishing house from the 1950s, publishing a total of 22 translations, including worksby such eminent Italian authors as Calvino, Bassani, Foscolo, Manzoni, and Moravia. Although part of the documentation has been lost over time – the preserved fi les cover only the years 1963–1995 – the surviving editorial notes, contracts, and publishing reviews provide insightful information on her working methods as well as the decisionmaking processes involved in the publication of Italian literature and the strategies shaping its reception in the Polish People’s Republic. This study represents the fi rst attempt at a comprehensive analysis of this material and aims to illuminate the translator’s role within a broader institutional, cultural, and publishing context.