Book launch with author Inga Iwasiów and Marek Fiałek (moderator).
Many unexpected things happen in this novel. They stimulate the imagination and force you to think, especially as they sometimes remain in the realm of suggestion. When does the action actually take place, where exactly is this coastal town on the Baltic Sea with a large hotel castle located and what actually makes up a plausible story in this multi-layered invention? Inga Iwasiów makes her novel look like a collection of short stories. Only when we reach the fourth or fifth story do we realize that we are dealing with characters who have some kind of relationship with each other and even know each other. They suffer from burnout and a weariness with life that sometimes culminates in a desire to die soon or breaks out in illness (cancer, memory loss, alcohol addiction).
How is the title to be understood? Is it about the end or the beginning of a certain phase? What happens when traditional categories such as education, work and culture are called into question, especially in a time of uncertainty (pandemic, war in Ukraine, economic crisis)? Or is it even a question of recording life in the age of a galloping climate catastrophe, as the jellyfish on the beach suggest? How should we deal with our resources? Shouldn't we slowly rethink our own consumer behavior? Is it already too late? Is there still hope?
"The Late Life" is also a story about memory. What do we remember, what do we add to what happened or what do we even invent in retrospect? How could we exist if fate had been kinder to us? What would we do and who would we be? Can dreams save us?
Inga Iwasiów is a multifaceted personality. She is a Szczecin native, literary critic, prose writer and poet, professor of literary studies with a research focus on literature of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, theorist of feminism and gender theory, publicist and activist.
Inga Iwasiów is also an outstanding personality in Poland, distinguished not only by her academic and literary achievements, but also by her strong socio-political commitment. As a professor of literature and gender studies theorist, she takes a clear feminist stance and campaigns for women's rights. Especially during the reign of the United Right in Poland, represented by the PiS party, she became an active voice in protest movements fighting for democracy and women's rights. Her prominent role in street protests in Szczecin, in particular her use of the expression "Fuck and Fuck Off", led to controversial discussions and criticism. This language was perceived by some as inappropriate for an academic of her standing. Nevertheless, many of her colleagues emphasized their solidarity with her in an open letter, pointing out that the attempt to discipline academics could restrict not only their expression but also their freedom of thought.Iwasiów is an uncompromising advocate for women's rights, arguing that these rights are not a minor matter but a central concern of society. Her commitment shows the close connection between her academic work and her political activity.
