Czesław Miłosz Prize Goes to Professor Krzysztof Pomian
On Saturday, 19 September 2026, the gala ceremony of the inaugural Czesław Miłosz Prize was held in Darłowo. The laureate was Professor Krzysztof Pomian – historian, philosopher and essayist – honoured for his lifetime achievement. The ceremony was one of the events of the first edition of the Sea of Literature Festival.
The Czesław Miłosz Prize was established by the National Library of Poland in 2026. It recognises outstanding literary achievements in the fields in which its patron worked – poetry, essays and prose – as well as writing of exceptional artistic and intellectual merit.
The gala was hosted by Katarzyna Kasia and Grzegorz Markowski. The guests were welcomed by Dr Tomasz Makowski, Director of the National Library of Poland and Chair of the Prize Jury, and Krzysztof Walków, Deputy Mayor of Darłowo. The musical programme for the evening was prepared by musician and clarinettist Paweł Szamburski.
A special moment of the ceremony was a recorded statement by Anthony Miłosz, Czesław Miłosz’s son, shown during the gala. He emphasised the breadth of his father’s work and pointed to a particular affinity between his way of thinking and the achievements of the Prize’s first laureate: “My father was a poet, but also an essayist, translator and prose writer. I do not think he would have liked the idea of putting a person into a single box – literature meant something much broader to him. That is why I am very pleased that the first laureate of the Prize bearing his name is Professor Krzysztof Pomian – an essayist, philosopher and historian who moves freely between different fields, without paying too much attention to the boundaries between them. I think there is something very Miłosz-like about that.”
The Prize was presented to Professor Krzysztof Pomian by Dr Tomasz Makowski and Maciej Szudek, President of the Polish National Foundation, the patron of the Prize. Members of the Prize Jury, Ewa Lipska and Ryszard Krynicki, also attended the ceremony.
The laudation in honour of the laureate was delivered by the Director of the National Library of Poland. The Jury recognised Krzysztof Pomian for his lifetime achievement – a body of humanistic work of exceptional intellectual distinction and European significance which, for more than sixty years, has deepened our understanding of history, culture and humanity’s place within the community of civilisation.
The citation emphasised that his work combines the erudition of a historian, the insight of a philosopher and the craft of an essayist, while his books transcend the boundaries of academic disciplines. Krzysztof Pomian’s most important works include Europe and Its Nations, Collectors and Curiosities and A World History of Museums. The Jury also highlighted his many years of participation in European intellectual life and his collaboration with Jerzy Giedroyc’s Paris-based Kultura. As stated in the citation, the laureate’s body of work embodies the ideal of the humanities represented by Czesław Miłosz: one that transcends national, linguistic and disciplinary boundaries and remains faithful to truth, freedom and responsibility for the written word.
Following the presentation of the Prize and the laudation, Professor Krzysztof Pomian addressed the audience, saying: “Like the Moon, European culture has two faces: a bright one and a dark one. Or, if you prefer, two currents: one on the surface and one in the depths.”
His speech concluded the official part of the inaugural Czesław Miłosz Prize gala.
A recording of the ceremony is available on the City of Darłowo’s YouTube channel.
The Prize Jury consists of: Dr Tomasz Makowski, Director of the National Library of Poland – Chair of the Jury; Ryszard Krynicki – poet and translator; and Ewa Lipska – poet and writer.
More information about the Prize is available here.
The Prize is supported by the Polish National Foundation.
