BIO
Born on 17 December 1912 [according to an obituary in "Tygodnik Powszechny" no. 4, 2001] in Chojno Stare, near Chełm; son of Szczepan Iwaniuk and Józefa, née Dyszewska. After completing his primary education in Chojno Stare, he attended secondary school in Siedliszcze between 1926 and 1929. He attended the State Men's Teacher Training School in Chełm between 1929 and 1934. He met the poet Józef Czechowicz there in 1931. Iwaniuk made his debut in 1933 with the poem Śmierć (Death), which appeared in the youth magazine "Spójnia". He considered the poem Pieśń o chlebie (Song of bread) to be his debut proper. It was published in 1933 in "Kuźnia Młodych" (no. 11). That year he received first prize the periodical's poetry competition. After qualifying as a teacher, he was called up to the officer cadet school in Równe (now Rivne, Ukraine), where from 19 September 1934 he spent one year doing military service in the Divisional Course of Reserve Officer Cadets of the 44th Regiment of the Eastern Borderland Riflemen's Infantry. He was associated with the group of writers around Józef Czechowicz. He published literary works and reviews in periodicals including "Kuźnia Młodych" (1933-34), "Miesięcznik Literatury i Sztuki" (1934-36), "Kultura" (1936-37), "Kamena" (1934 and 1936-39), "Okolica Poetów" (1935-36 and 1938-39), "Zet" (1935-37), "Kurier Poranny" (1937-38), "Pion" (1937), and "Zwierciadło" (1937-38). Around 1936, he joined the Wołyń (Volhynia) literary group. Between 1936 and 1939, he continued his studies in the Migrational-Colonial Programme of the Free Polish University in Warsaw and also completed an internship at the Polish consulate in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia. In June 1939, he was awarded a grant from the National Cultural Foundation and was assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a year-long consular internship in Campana Colonizadora del Norte and at the Polish Embassy in Buenos Aires. Following the outbreak of World War II, he reached France in December 1939 where he volunteered for the Polish army that was being established there. As a soldier of the Polish Independent Highland Brigade, he was involved in combat including the Battle of Narvik, later receiving both British and French honours. Following the capitulation of France, he attempted to reach the UK via Spain. He was arrested by Spanish military police in August 1940 and imprisoned in Figueras, followed by the concentration camp in Miranda de Ebro, where he spent three years. Following his release in 1943, he reached the UK via Gibraltar. He was assigned to the 1st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment of the 1st Armoured Division under the command of General Stanisław Maczek, which was involved in combat in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. For his contribution at the Battle of the Falaise, he received the Polish Cross of Valour as well as Dutch, French and British honours. He published his wartime poems in the military press publications "Polska Walcząca" (1943-44), "Dziennik Żołnierza 1. Dywizji Pancernej" (1944) and "Defilada" ("Tygodnik Żołnierza 1. Dywizji Pancernej", 1945). Following the end of the war, he remained in Germany until 1946 before travelling to the United Kingdom. As a lieutenant of the Polish Armed Forces until October 1947, he spent two years taking language courses in preparation for a degree at the University of Cambridge. He was demobilized in November 1948 and subsequently left for Canada to join his family. Initially, he lived near Edmonton, before moving to Ottawa and Toronto. First he worked as a carpet salesman and as a labourer in a slaughterhouse before becoming a road accident official with the Ministry of Justice of the Government of Ontario. He was subsequently employed as a sworn translator at the same ministry. In 1951, he co-founded the artistic and literary club Konfraternia Artystyczna "Smocza Jama" (Dragon's Den Artistic Fraternity) in Toronto. He received Canadian citizenship in 1959. He published poetry in Polish and English, as well as articles, literary reviews and translations of English-language poetry in numerous émigré publications, including "Kultura" (Paris, intermittently 1950-1984, and in 1986 and 1988), "Wiadomości" (London, 1950-81), "Związkowiec" (Toronto, 1956, 1968-70, 1982-86, and 1988), "Kontynenty-Nowy Merkuriusz" (London, 1961-66), "Tematy" (New York, 1962-69), "Oficyna Poetów" (London, intermittently 1966-80), "Gwiazda Polarna" (Stevens Point, 1976-86), "Pamiętnik Literacki" (London, 1982-83), "Dziennik Polski i Dziennik Żołnierza" (London, 1984-88), "Archipelag" (West Berlin, 1985-86), "Głos Polski" (Toronto, 1986 and 1988), "Przegląd Polski" (New York, 1986 and 1988), and in "Tydzień Polski" – a supplement of "Dziennik Polski i Dziennik Żołnierza" (London, 1988). He translated contemporary US-American poets, including C. Aiken, W.H. Auden, E.E. Cummings, E. Dickinson, R. Lowell, T. Merton, S. Plath, T. Roethke, G. Stein, K. Shapiro, and R. Warren. He was the recipient of numerous literary prizes, including the T. Sułkowski prize (1963), the prize of the Paris-based "Kultura" (1964), the "Rój" (Swarm) prize of Roy Publishers for his translations into Polish of the poems of Emily Dickinson (1965), the prize of the Adam Mickiewicz Foundation in Canada (1968), the prize of the New York-based A. Jurzykowski Foundation (1968), the Geneva-based Kościelski Foundation (1971), the 1975 M. Grydzewski "Wiadomości" award in recognition of the best works published in 1974 in the periodical, the prize of the Union of Polish Writers Abroad (1979), and the 1988 Władysław Turzański and Nelli Turzańska prize. He was a member of the Club of Poland, the Society of Friends of the Paris-based "Kultura", the Polish Publishing Fund – which he chaired for many years, the board of the Polish Combatants' Association in Toronto, the Union of Polish Writers Abroad (until 1986), the advisory committee of the prize of the New York-based A. Jurzykowski Foundation, the jury of the prize of the London-based periodical "Wiadomości" (known as the Grydzewski Academy), and of the Canadian PEN Club. From 1983, his writings appeared in the Polish Catholic press, namely in the periodicals "Więź" (1983-85) and "Tygodnik Powszechny" (1984), as well as in underground periodicals, including "Zapis" (1980-81 and 1985) and "Arka" (1987), which were published outside the reach of state censorship. In 1990, he co-founded the Lublin Branch of the Polish Writers' Association (SPP), where he was also a member. Having been refused a visa, he could only visit Poland once, on a trip to Warsaw in 1967, before travelling to the country again in 1991 as part of the Congress of the Union of Polish Writers Abroad. After 1989, he published poems and prose pieces in literary periodicals including "Twórczość" (1989, 1991, 1995, and 1997), "Akcent" (1990), "Dekada Literacka" (1990-91), "Fraza" (intermittently 1990-2001), "Kresy" (1990, 1993, and 1995), "Kresy Literackie" (1990-91), "Odra" (1992), "Więź" (1994), "Kwartalnik Artystyczny" (1995 and 1998), and "Zeszyty Literackie" (1998). He died on 4 January 2001 in Toronto. On 2 December 2006, he ashes were laid to rest at his family grave at Siedliszcze cemetery.
Twórczość
1. Pełnia czerwca. (Poemat). Chełm: Grupa Literacka „Wołyń” 1936, 30 s. Biblioteka Grupy Literackiej „Wołyń”, t. 1. Wyd. nast.: [Red. tomu: B. Nowak. Posłowie: J. Kryszak]. Toronto: Polish Canadian Publishing Fund; Lublin: Stowarzyszenie Pisarzy Polskich. Oddział 2006.
2. Dzień apokaliptyczny. [Wiersz]. [Warszawa:] F. Hoesick [1938], 7 s. Arkusz Poetycki, 5. Wyd. nast. jako reprint: [Wybrał i przygotował do druku J. Zięba]. Lublin: Lubelski Oddział Stowarzyszenia Pisarzy Polskich 1991.
3. Czas Don Kichota. Poezje. Londyn: Światowy Związek Polaków z Zagranicy 1946, 31 s.
4. Dni białe i dni czerwone. Dziennik poetycki. [Poemat]. Bruksela: Wydawnictwo Klon 1947, 44 s.
5. Dziennik z podróży tropikalnej i wiersze o wojnie. Poemat z lat 1939-1945. „Kultura”, Paryż 1950 nr 11 s. 45-58; odbitka: Toronto: Konfraternia Artystyczna „Smocza Jama” 1951.
6. Pieśń nad pieśniami. Poemat. Rysunki: J. Czapski. Tunbridge Wells: Oficyna Poetów i Malarzy na Emigracji w Anglii 1955, 43 s.
Zawartość
7. Milczenia. Wiersze 1949-1959. Paryż: Instytut Literacki 1959, 41 s.
Zawartość
8. Wybór wierszy. Paryż: Instytut Literacki 1965, 106 s.
Nagrody
9. Ciemny czas. Poezje. Paryż: Instytut Literacki 1968, 77 s. Biblioteka „Kultury”, 156.
Nagrody
10. Lustro. [Wiersze]. Londyn: Oficyna Poetów i Malarzy 1971, 58 s. Wyd. 2 New York: Poray Book Publishing 1986 .
11. Czekam. Kanada: [b.m. 1975], [1] s.
12. Nemezis idzie pustymi drogami. [Wiersze]. [Linoryty S. Gliwa]. Londyn: Oficyna S. Gliwy 1978, 93 s.
13. Evenings on Lake Ontario. From my Canadian diary. [Wiersze]. Toronto: Hounslow Press 1981, 60 s.
14. Podróż do Europy. Opowiadania i szkice. Londyn: Polska Fundacja Kulturalna 1982, 118 s. Wyd. nast.: Wrocław: Oficyna Wydawnicza Niezależnego Zrzeszenia Studentów Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego* 1987.
Zawartość
15. Kartagina i inne wiersze. Wybór autora. Gdzieś w Polsce [Lublin]: Wolna Spółka Wydawnicza Komitywa* 1987, 35 s.
16. Nocne rozmowy. Wiersze. Londyn: Polska Fundacja Kulturalna 1987, 106 s.
17. Trzy spotkania. „Więź” – „Arka” – „Tygodnik Powszechny”. Toronto: Polski Fundusz Wydawniczy w Kanadzie 1988, 48 s. Biblioteka Polska w Kanadzie, nr 13.
18. Powrót. Wybór wierszy. Wyboru dokonał i wstępem opatrzył M. Zieliński. Warszawa: Biblioteka „Więzi”, Kraków: Społeczny Instytut Wydawniczy „Znak” 1989, 187 s. Biblioteka „Więzi”, t. 59.
Zawartość
19. Moje obłąkanie. [Wiersze]. Teksty wybrał i zestawił Autor. Lublin: Stowarzyszenie Literackie „Kresy” 1991, 53 s.
20. Zanim znikniemy w opactwie kolorów. Wybór wierszy. Wyboru dokonał K. Lisowski. Wstęp: J. Kryszak. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie 1991, 169 s.
21. Kilka wierszy. Oprac. graficznie i typograficznie P. Mordel. Berlin: Mordellus Press 1993, 12 s. Wyd. 2 zmienione tamże 1994.
22. Moje strony świata. [Wiersze]. Paryż: Instytut Literacki 1994, 75 s. Biblioteka „Kultury”, t. 485. Wyd. nast. Warszawa: Pomost 1994.
23. Wiersze wybrane. [Wyboru wierszy dokonał E. Zyman. Oprac. graficzne: K. Głaz]. Toronto: Polski Fundusz Wydawniczy w Kanadzie, Torontoński [!] Ośrodek Sztuki Współczesnej 1995, [71] k. Biblioteka Polska w Kanadzie, 23.
24. Sceny sądowe, czyli nasi w Kanadzie. [Poemat]. Wstęp: J. Wolski. Fotografie: D. Kuprel i H. Wójcik. Toronto, Berlin: Polski Fundusz Wydawniczy w Kanadzie 1997, 15 s. Biblioteka Polska w Kanadzie = Polish Library in Canada, nr 27.
25. Ostatni romantyk. Wspomnienie o Józefie Łobodowskim. Oprac., wstępem, notą i przypisami opatrzył J. Kryszak. Toruń: Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu 1998, 77 s.
26. Sąd. [Poemat]. Nota: J. Wolski. Oprac. graficznie P. Mordel. Toronto, Berlin: Polski Fundusz Wydawniczy & Mordellus Press 1998, 60 s. Biblioteka Polska w Kanadzie = Polish Library in Canada, nr 29.
27. W ogrodzie mego ojca. Wiersze z lat 1993-1996. Wstęp: J. Kryszak. Wybór i układ wierszy: E. Zyman. Toronto, Toruń: Polski Fundusz Wydawniczy w Kanadzie 1998, 58 s. Biblioteka Polska w Kanadzie = Polish Library in Canada, nr 26.
28. Miranda. [Wspomnienia]. Oprac. tekstu i nota o autorze: [J. Wolski] J.W. Berlin: Polski Fundusz Wydawniczy w Kanadzie & Mordellus Press 2001, 52 s. Biblioteka Polska w Kanadzie, nr 30.
29. Dom. Przygotowanie do druku, posłowie i noty: J. Wolski. Toronto: Polski Fundusz Wydawniczy w Kanadzie; Rzeszów: Stowarzyszenie Literacko-Artystyczne „Fraza” 2014, 159 s.
30. Moja Matka. Józefina Dyszewska. Od wielu lat. Z rękopisu odtworzył, opracował i komentarzem opatrzył H. Wójcik. Toronto-Berlin: Polski Fundusz Wydawniczy w Kanadzie 2021, 11 s.
Wybory utworów literackich w przekładach
angielski
Przekłady utworów literackich w antologiach zagranicznych
albański
angielski
francuski
niemiecki
Przekłady
Prace redakcyjne
Omówienia i recenzje
• Ankiety dla IBL PAN 1957, 1967, 1976.