SULIKOWSKI Andrzej

Born on 15 July 1950 in Krakow; son of the artist Ryszard Sulikowski and the nurse Anna, née Gadomska. He attended the King Jan III Sobieski Grammar School (No. II) in Krakow, completing his advanced secondary education in 1968. He then became a student at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Krakow University of Technology, before abandoning his degree after a year. He then studied Polish philology at the Jagiellonian University (UJ) in Krakow. He made his debut in 1973 with a review of J. Narbutt's short stories W mieście wesele (There's a Wedding in Town). His review was published as Wesele samotników (The Lone Wolves' Wedding) in the weekly "Życie Literackie" (no. 20). His prose, articles and reviews subsequently appeared in various cultural and literary periodicals, including the Catholic weekly "Tygodnik Powszechny" (regular contributor from 1973 to 1987), "Znak" (intermittently from 1974 to 1993 and in 1999) and "Twórczość" (intermittently from 1976 to 1982). In 1973/74, he received the W. Borowy special scientific prize from the First Section of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), which is awarded to outstanding students. He graduated with a master's degree from UJ in 1974. He spent 1975 doing military service and reached the rank of second-lieutenant of the reserve army. During this period, he appeared in the instructional film Pościg (Pursuit), which was made by the Military Film Unit Czołówka (Spearhead). From 1976 to 1982, he was an assistant at the Department of Twentieth Century Polish Literature at the Institute of Polish Philology (IFP) at UJ. In parallel, from 1978 to 1985, he taught the history of Polish culture, literature and the independent publishing movement at the Pontifical Academy of Theology (PAT) in Krakow. During this period, he also participated in Father Prof. Józef Tischner's philosophical seminars. His research concentrated primarily on contemporary poetry and prose, with a particular focus on religious aspects. He was awarded a doctoral degree from UJ in 1982 for his monograph „Pozwolić mówić prawdzie”. O twórczości Hanny Malewskiej ("To allow the truth to speak": On the works of Hanna Malewska), which was supervised by Prof. Henryk Markiewicz. He collaborated with numerous periodicals that appeared outside the reach of state censorship, contributing reviews and articles to, among others, "Zapis" (1980; using the pen name Józef Poduczonek), "Arka" (1989), and using the pseudonym Józef Wojciech Gadomski to the Paris-based "Kultura" (1985-1996) and to the West Berlin-based "Archipelag" (1987). He also published in "Powściągliwość i Praca", the monthly of the Congregation of Saint Michael the Archangel, from 1986 to 1991. He also contributed material to Radio Free Europe (1981-89). He was a member of the Publishing Board and an editor at ABC, a Krakow-based independent publishing house. He was involved as a lecturer in the independent academic movement, contributing to the training of mentors associated with the Sanctuary (Oaza) of the Union of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Siostry Prezentki). From 1986 to 1988, he was a fellow of the West German Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, spending time in Munich and Bochum, where he conducted research on German and Polish émigré literature. In 1989, he took a study trip, funded by the same organization, to the main academic centres of West Germany, including Heildelberg, Konstanz, Munich, West Berlin and Hamburg. From 1988, he was a lecturer at the Polish Philology Section at the Chair of Contemporary Literature at the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL). He served as head of section in 1993/94. From 1989 to 1993, he was chair of the Circle of Polish Philology Scholars at KUL and co-organized the national Polish Philology Weeks, as well as various research symposia and literary events. He joined the Polish Writers' Association (SPP) in 1990 and the KUL Scientific Society in 1991. He was awarded a habilitation degree from KUL in 1992 for his study „Nie można świata zostawić w spokoju”. O twórczości Jana Józefa Szczepańskiego ("The world cannot be left alone": On the works of Jan Józef Szczepański). He co-founded the Polish Language Section at the Consortium of Teaching Colleges in Zamość in 1992, also serving as its academic chair until 1996. From 1993 to 1996, he was also active as a contract professor at the Institute of Polish Philology at the Higher School of Education in Rzeszow. In 1994, he spent two months as a research fellow at the Sorbonne in Paris. He left KUL in 1996 and took up a post as associate professor at the Institute of Polish Philology (now the Institute of Polish and Cultural Studies) at the University of Szczecin (US). He was made head of the Department of Literary Theory in 1997 (it became the Department of the Theory and Anthropology of Literature in 2005). He was also the dean's representative for the student scholarly movement and chaired the Circle of Literary Studies Scholars. He received the 1997 Golden Ex libris (Złoty Exlibris) prize, awarded by the Pomeranian Library in Szczecin. He co-founded the event series Przez muzykę do świata wartości (Through Music to the World of Values), which was led by Prof. Bohdan Boguszewski, conductor of the Academia Orchestra in Szczecin. From 1997 to 2001, he also worked as a contract professor at the Baltic Higher School of Humanities in Koszalin. He was made state-appointed professor in 1998. In August and September 1998, he was a Humboldt Fellow in Greifswald, where he conducted research on the letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the writings of Albrecht Dürer, and in 2000 in Regensburg. He established a long-standing collaboration with the Slavonic studies professor Ulrike Jekutsch. Together they conceived the project Deutsch-Polnisches LiteraturForum (DPLF Szczecin-Greifswald), which started in 1998. He also collaborated with the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) in 1998 and the Universities of Roskilde and Copenhagen in 1999. He was made full professor at US in 2001. The following year, Archbishop Józef Życiński invited him to participate in the Council of the Laity of the Episcopal Conference of Poland. In 2003, he was involved in the discussions of the Gryf (Griffin) Regional Forum, of which he also became a member. The same year, he became chair of the Szczecin Branch of the Polish Writers' Association. He received the University of Szczecin academic prize in 2004 (third class) and 2006 (second class), which was awarded by the university's rector. He conducted research in the United States in 2005, primarily in Philadelphia, focusing on the works of Thomas Merton. He also established contact with Columbia University in New York. In December 2006, he was in Greifswald on a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) grant, where he conducted research on sociological issues in literary studies. He collaborated with the Polish Museum in Rapperswil, Switzerland, in 2007. He left his post as head of the Department of the Theory and Anthropology of Literature in 2008, taking up the role of director of the new Research Centre for Religious Culture and Ancient Text at the Institute of Polish and Cultural Studies at US in 2010. He served on the Council of the Faculty of Philology. He married the Polish studies scholar Joanna Byrczek in 1971. They have four children: Piotr Robert (b. 1972), Katarzyna Teresa (b. 1976), Izabela Maria (b. 1979) and Maciej Bronisław (b. 1981). He lives in Szczecin.