Dr Beata Kalęba from the JU Faculty of Polish Studies has received the Algis Kalėda Award, set up by the Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore in Vilnius. The award is presented annually for significant accomplishments in the area of Lithuanian studies, comparative Polish-Lithuanian literature studies, editorial and translation endeavours as well as popularising Lithuanian literature in Poland.
The award’s namesake, Prof. Algis Kalėda, graduated in Lithuanian studies from the University of Vilnius and Polish studies at the Jagiellonian University. In the 1990s, he co-founded Polish studies at the University of Vilnius. He wrote papers and books on Polish literature and translated Polish authors into Lithuanian, the prime examples being Czesław Miłosz and Wisława Szymborska.
The Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore in Vilnius has awarded Dr Beata Kalęba for her papers on comparative Polish-Lithuanian studies, a teaching script for Lithuanian literature history course, and for her translations of the poetry of Alfonsas Nyka-Niliūnas and Tomas Venclova. Dr Kalęba’s academic and public activities – establishing and managing the Section for the Culture of Lithuania at the JU as well as actively participating in protecting the UNESCO-recognised Vilnius Old Town from expansive urban development – were also noted by the award committee.
Dr Beata Kalęba graduated in Polish studies from the Jagiellonian University. She has dedicated herself to studying history of literature, believing that to understand the contemporary one must first understand the historical aspect of culture and literature. She is interested in the history and culture of Lithuania, Polish-Lithuanian cultural and literary ties, and the issues related to identity and ideas on Polish-Lithuanian borderlands. Currently, she is working on the life and work of Tomas Venclova and translating the works of Lithuanian poets.
