BIO
Born on 25 April 1947; son of the print workers Eugeniusz Dominiak and Zofia, née Pilc. He started studying at the Faculty of Polish Studies at the University of Lodz in 1967 and was awarded a master's degree in 1977. During his first year at university, he co-founded Olifant literary group. In 1971, he co-founded the Atelier Theatre with the actor Wiesław Nowicki. It performed in spaces at Lodz Art Museum. He made his debut as literary critic in 1974 with a review of J. Sztaudynger and A. Sztaudynger-Kaliszewicz's book Chwalipięta, czyli rozmowy z tatą (Braggart, or: Conversations with Father). The review was published as Chwalipięty (Braggarts) in the weekly "Nadodrze" (no. 22). As a poet, he made his debut the same year with the poems Człowiek z natury… (Natural born human) and Narodziny krzyża samorodnego (Birth of an autogenous cross), which were published in the weekly "Odgłosy" (no. 43), where he continued to publish numerous reviews, essays, poems and prose pieces until 1981. He was a member of the Youth Circle (Koło Młodych) of the Polish Writers' Union (ZLP). He continued to write poetry and literary criticism, publishing texts in periodicals including "Poezja" (1976-78 and 1980) and "Więź" (1978, 1980 and 1990). From 1977, he was associated with the independent quarterly "Puls", where he published essays and literary reviews (1977-80; likewise under the pen name Dominik Szyszko). He was active in the democratic opposition to communist rule. Among other things, Dominiak was involved in distributing Workers' Defence Committee (Komitet Obrony Robotników – KOR) publications in Lodz. In 1981, he published his first prose works, the short stories Ab urbe, Panfloryzm (Panflorism) and Słońce (Sun) in the weekly "Odgłosy" (no. 27). He spent three months in West Germany in 1985, contributing to the West Berlin-based periodical "Pogląd" (using the pen name Anna Neubert) and writing for Konrad W. Tatarowski's Radio Free Europe programme Przegląd Prasy Podziemnej, a review of the underground Polish press. His poems appeared in the Paris-based monthly "Kontakt" (1988 and 1990) and in the Polish weekly "Kultura" (1995, 1997 and 2000). In 1989, he became a founding member of the Association of Polish Writers (SPP), serving as the chair of the Lodz section of SPP from 2000. In 1989 he joined the Association of Polish Journalists (Stowarzyszenie Dziennikarzy Polskich). From 1994 he had a part-time role as an instructor at the Poleski Art Centre (Poleski Ośrodek Sztuki) in Lodz. In 1996, he established the monthly "Tygiel Kultury", serving as content editor until his death. He was a member of the Polish PEN Club from 2000. In the final years of his life, he took several literary journeys, visiting Paris (1993), Lithuania and Belarus (1996), Stuttgart and Berlin (1999), Bosnia and Herzegovina (2000), and Irkutsk and Belgrade (2001). His poems and journalistic texts have been translated into many languages.
He married the University of Lodz Polish studies scholar Anna Szwedziak in 1981 (she died in 2005). Dominiak was father to Róża (b. 1984) and Alina (b. 1994). He died on 5 February 2002 and is buried at Zakrzew Cemetery in Lodz.
Since 2002, the quarterly "Tygiel Kultury", supported by Poland's Minister of Foreign Affairs, has awarded the Z. Dominiak Prize in two categories: for "best newcomer" and for the best translations of Polish poetry into other Slavic languages. Since 2003, the quarterly together with the Association of Polish Writers (SPP) and the Bałuty district cultural centre RONDO have organized a competition for young poets named after Dominiak, "Moje Widzenie Świata" – Konkurs Poetycki dla Młodych Twórców im. Z. Dominiaka.
Twórczość
1. [Wiersze]. Łódź: Ośrodek Sztuki i Kultury Młodych Łódzkiego Domu Kultury 1979, leporello. Spotkania z młodą poezją.
2. Identyfikacje. [Miniatury literackie]. Łódź: Wydawnictwo Łódzkie 1981, 55 s. Biblioteka Debiutów. Ośrodek Sztuki i Kultury Młodych Łódzkiego Domu Kultury.
3. Ziemowit Skibiński. 2 [Szkic biograficzny]. Sieradz: Wojewódzka Biblioteka Publiczna 1981, 8 s. Sylwetki Pisarzy.
4. Poeci spod znaku Korabia. Z tradycji literackich Łasku 1422-1982. [Szkice biograficzne]. Łask: Miejska i Gminna Biblioteka Publiczna 1982, [16] s.
5. Henryk Wolniak. [Szkic biograficzny]. Sieradz: Wojewódzka Biblioteka Publiczna 1983, 8 s. Sylwetki Pisarzy.
6. Los obecności. [Wiersze]. Łódź: Klub Pisarzy Stowarzyszenia Twórców Kultury 1984, leporello. Czwartek Literacki.
7. Od okna – do okna. [Wiersz]. Łódź: Muzeum Książki Artystycznej, Correspondance des Arts 1991, 24 s.
8. W poza siebie. Dziennik paru lektur. [Szkice literackie]. Łódź: Wydawnictwo Łódzkie 1992, 168 s.
Zawartość
9. [Lech Wałęsa – nie ma wolności bez „Solidarności”]. Powst. ok. 1993.
Przekłady
10. Światło złej nocy. [Wiersze]. Łódź: Biblioteka 1993, 55 s.
Nagrody
11. Itinerarium. [Wiersze]. [Łódź: Nakładem przyjaciół autora 1997], 30 s. Wyd. nast.: Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Dolnośląskie 1998, 51 s.
12. Siedem wierszy z Różą i Aliną. Poddębice, Łódź: A. Biskupski, P. Duraj, Z. Skibiński 1997, 15 s.
13. Zdarzenia i sny. [Wiersze]. Łódź: Fundacja Anima, „Tygiel Kultury” 2001, 167 s. Biblioteka „Tygla Kultury”, t. 18.
14. Kruszynko, którą kołyszę. [Wybór wierszy]. Poddębice – Łódź: A. Biskupski, P. Duraj i Z. Skibiński 2006, 32 s.
Przekłady utworów literackich w antologiach zagranicznych
białoruski
rosyjski
Prace redakcyjne
Omówienia i recenzje
• Informacje córki Róży 2009.