LALAK Mirosław

Born on 15 August 1955 in Resko near Łobez (Western Pomerania); son of the motor mechanic Zdzisław Lalak and the bookkeeper Teresa, née z Mamczarek. He attended the Electrical Technical School in Stargard Szczeciński, completing his advanced secondary education in 1975. He then studied Polish philology at the Higher School of Education (WSP) in Szczecin (which in 1985 became the University of Szczecin; USz). He made his debut in 1978 with a review of Czesław Czerniawski's novel Ballada o człowieku spokojnym (Ballad of a Peaceful Man). Lalak's text appeared in the periodical "Głos Szczeciński” (no. 45), where he continued to publish reviews for several years. In 1979, he graduated with a master's degree and was appointed assistant at the Department of the Literary History and Theory (later the Department of Literary Theory) at the Institute of Polish Philology (IFP) at Szczecin WSP. His research focused primarily on contemporary literature, Second World War-era literature and the sociology of literary life. Between 1979 and 1984, he was a doctoral student at the Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IBL PAN). During this period he also completed one year of military service. He was involved in the underground opposition to communism throughout the 1980s. He published reviews and articles in periodicals and journals including "Kierunki" (1984-86), "Nowe Książki" (intermittently from 1985), "Między innymi" (1986-88) and "Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego" (1989-1991). He was awarded a doctorate from IBL in 1990 for his dissertation Między historią a biografią. O prozie Stanisława Rembeka (Between History and Biography: Stanisław Rembek's Prose), which was supervised by Prof. Alina Brodzka. That year he was appointed lecturer at the Institute of Polish Philology at USz. Between 1989 and 1993, he was deputy director of IFP at USz. He also lectured on Polish philology as part of vocational degree programmes in Koszalin and Gorzów Wielkopolski. He conducted journalism workshops for students of Polish philology at USz. He was on the jury of the Olympiad in Polish Literature and Language. He was involved in promoting literary and cultural life in Szczecin. He established a circle of young critics at the Glob publishing house, where he also organized reading sessions and meetings with authors. He contributed introductions to books by Szczecin-based authors, supporting debut writers in particular. He collaborated with Polish Radio and Polish Television in Szczecin. He joined the Polish Writers' Association (SPP) in 1992, serving as secretary of the Association's Szczecin Branch until 1996 when he became its deputy chair. In 1994, he co-founded the quarterly "Pogranicze", where he subsequently served as editor-in-chief. He also published articles there (including some using the pseudonym Marek Skwierczyk). He established the encyclopaedic guide Literatura na Pomorzu Zachodnim (Literature in Western Pomerania), also editing entries to it. He did no live to see the completion of the initiative. He married the English studies scholar and psychologist Jolanta Krzysztofiakówna in 1982; he had a son, Radosław Ignacy (b. 1991). Lalak died tragically on 24 March 1999 in Szczecin as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident. He is buried at the cemetery in Łobez.