CHOJNACKI Roman

Born on 4 May 1954 in Leszno (Greater Poland voivoideship); son of the director of the County Public Security Office (Powiatowy Urząd Bezpieczeństwa Publicznego) and secret police captain Władysław Chojnacki and Leokadia, née Maciąg. He spent the first years of his life in the neighbouring of district of Kościan He was a pupil at Grammar School No. 1 in Leszno. After completing advanced secondary education in 1973, he started studying Polish philology at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan (UAM). He graduated with a master's degree in theatre studies in 1977. He was a member of the student poetry group "Od Nowa" from 1973 to 1977, making his debut with Głos pierwszy (First voice), a collection of poems published in 1973 by the group's publishing outlet Witryna Poetycka Okręgowego Klubu Studentów „Od Nowa”. He went on to co-edit four collections published in the same series. He won many poetry prizes, including the "Zielona Waza" (Green Vase) single poem tournament (Turniej Jednego Wiersza) and a competition for poems about Poznan and Greater Poland (Turniej Wierszy o Poznaniu i Wielkopolsce), both in 1975. In 1978, he won the "Milowy Słup" (Milestone) prize in the national poetry competition Ogólnopolski Konkurs Poetycki in 1978, the same year that he won the "Czerwona Róża" (Red Rose) prize in the national competition for socially engaged poetry (Ogólnopolski Turniej Poezji Społecznie Zaangażowanej). He had various jobs, including working as a specialist in vocational qualifications at the "Wenus" Hairdressers' Cooperation in Poznan. He also worked at cultural centres in Poznan and Leszno Wielkopolskie, while also working as a Polish language tutor at the United States' consulate in Poznan. He continued to write poetry and literary criticism, publishing numerous poems, reviews and articles in periodicals including "Integracje" (1978- 1981; also serving on the editorial board), "Nurt" (1978-81), "Student" (1978-81; serving as editor of the cultural section in 1980/81),
"Nowy Medyk" (1979-80), "Nowy Wyraz" (1979-80), "Głos Wielkopolski" (1980-81), "Literatura" (1980) and "Odra" (1980-81). He joined the Youth Circle (Koło Młodych) of the Poznań branch of the Polish Writers' Union (Związek Literatów Polskich – ZLP) in 1978, serving as chair of the Circle until the ZLP was disbanded in 1983. Together with Tadeusz Żukowski, he established and co-organized the national congress of ZLP youth circles (Ogólnopolski Zjazd Kół Młodych ZLP) that took place in Poznań in November 1981. In 1980/81 he held a fellowship from the Tadeusz Borowski Foundation (Fundusz im T. Borowskiego) and the Ministry of Culture and Art. Betwen 1981 and 1988 he was literary secretary at Poznan's Nowy Theatre. During this period he published articles and reviews in the theatre's periodical "Programy Teatru Nowego" (1981-87), while also editing the irregular supplement "Zza kulis" (which in 1983 featured his cycle of articles Prosto w scenę – Straight to the stage). He also published poetry in underground publications not approved by state censors including "Bez Debitu" (1983), "Obecność" (1984) and "Czas Kultury" (1986), likewise under the pen name Ludwik Piechocki. As a result of his involvement in the independent publishing movement, including collaborations with the Głosy publishing house, he was called up for military service in November 1982. He was enrolled into the penal company Wojskowy Obóz Specjalny (Special Military Camp) in Rawicz and then released in December that year. He left for the United States in 1986 on a six-week fellowship from the Department of State. He travelled around the USA before returning to Poland. He was awarded Medal Młodej Sztuki (Young Arts Medal) for his poetry and essay writing by the editorial board of the newspaper "Głos Wielkopolski" and Poznan City Council in 1988. He emigrated to Canada to same year, initially living in Mississauga near Toronto, before moving to Brampton. He earned a living running his own construction business before becoming a professional truck driver. He continued write poetry, occasionally publishing his works in periodicals including "Odra" (1990), "Arkusz" (1995 and 1999), "Gazeta Malarzy i Poetów" (1999 and 2004), "Akcent" (2002-03), "Fraza" (2004) and "Twórczość" (2005-12), as well as in Toronto-based Polish émigré publications "Gazeta" (1988-89), "Głos Polski" (1988), "High Park" (1992-96) and "Nowy Prąd" (2003). He joined the Association of Polish Writers (SPP) in 2000. In 2001, he was briefly associated with the Polish-Canadian Publishing Fund (Polski Fundusz Wydawniczy w Kanadzie), serving as a member of its Board. In 2006, he won the Wladyslaw and Nelli Turzanski Foundation Prize. He was awarded the Gold Combatants' Cross (Złoty Krzyż Kombatancki) by the Polish ex-Combatants Association (SPK) and the Polish Cross of Freedom and Solidarity (Krzyż Wolności i Solidarności) in 2015.
He married Alicja Zygał in 1976, who was taking a degree in Polish studies at the time. They have a daughter Zuzanna (b. 1976), who works at the University of Vienna, and a son, Jakub (b. 1979), who graduated with a degree in journalism from Vienna. Roman and Alicja divorced in 1986. In 1988 he married the nurse Alina Piotrowska. He lives in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada.