Poetry and Violence: Memory and Human Rights Activism...

"Poetry and Violence: Memory and Human Rights Activism in the 21st Century"

A guest lecture by Polish poet and musician Grzegorz Kwiatkowski.

Attend in-person: SEB 2202
Attend online: Register to attend online by emailing Amanda Grzyb at agrzby@uwo.ca. 

Bio: Grzegorz Kwiatkowski (b. 1984) is a Polish poet, musician, activist, and scholar. His art revolves around the subjects of history, remembrance, and ethics. He is a member of PEN America and the European literature network Versopolis. Kwiatkowski plays in the psychedelic rock band Trupa Trupa, whose music has been released by international labels like Sub Pop and Glitterbeat Records. With the band, he recorded sessions for NPR's Tiny Desk and BBC Radio 6. 

Kwiatkowski co-hosts the 'Virus of Hate' workshop at the University of Oxford and has been a guest lecturer at renowned universities such as the University of California, Berkeley; Stanford University; Yale University; UCLA; Johns Hopkins University; the University of Chicago; Northwestern University; and the Jewish Theologoical Seminary. Collaborating with UCLA's Vinay Lal, he initiated 'Sangam and Agora: A Forum of Poets, Philosophers, Scholars, and Autodidacts.' With Paul Lodge from the University of Oxford, he co-founded 'It Sings Therefore We Are: Philosophy and Music in Conversation.'

As an activist, Kwiatkowski is dedicated to preserving Jewish heritage in Poland, notably the once-forgotten Jewish Ghetto in Gdansk, which is now commemorated. More at www.grzegorzkwiatkowski.com.